Like Father Like Son
by IlluminatedM
Summary: When Bella meets Carlisle-a doctor in town for a few months-during her last Summer in Texas, she falls hard. But when goodbyes are said and done, and it's time for her to move, she realizes she really should have asked his last name...
1. Just A Fling

Looking back on it, meeting Carlisle was fate.

I'd lived in San Antonio, Texas for my entire life, and I suppose it's needless to say that my dad's transfer to Forks, Washington didn't go over very well with me. Charlie had already packed his things and gone and had given me the summer to say my goodbyes. I packed most of the house and spent weeks partying with friends. It was an extraordinary summer, although I hadn't expected it to be. I hadn't ever expected to meet such a stunning man in such a crappy diner.

Sill's was a place I'd gone to for fourteen out of my seventeen birthdays, and I loved it, but even if you asked Sill Stallone herself- the woman would tell you her place was trash. There was gum beneath ever table and the bathroom stalls had been carved and tagged to the point of no repair. Surprisingly, the useless waitresses and comfort food kept the restaurant packed to the brim, and if you wanted to eat, you better be comfortable eating with strangers. I was definitely comfortable when I discovered that my stranger looked like he walked off the cover of GQ Magazine.

The first time I lay eyes on him I didn't even notice the high-priced suit, the Rolex watch, or the fact that it was obvious he didn't belong there. I noticed piercing blue eyes that somehow silently welcomed me to seat myself with him, a warm smile accompanied by perfect teeth, and his strong jaw. I'll never be able to tell you what he saw, because as he informed me multiple times over the month we spent together that I "do not see myself clearly". But whatever it is that he saw caused him to gesture me closer. Just me taking a seat in his booth invoked a three hour conversation filled with laughter, the swapping of telephone numbers, and dinner date at a more... appropriate… place.

Walking into the warm Italian restaurant later that night, I saw Carlisle immediately. His sharp suit made him stand out, even among others in formal wear. His eyes captivated me, like a lighthouse to a drowning sailor- I was drawn in. He rose to pull out my chair, and proceeded to tell me of himself and ask questions on my life. I told him I'd be finishing my final year of school in a different state, and he chuckled as he told me that he was a doctor from a different state who'd been stuck doing another man's paperwork for the summer. We laughed and joked over anything that came up, and I felt like I'd known him for years. The conversation was easy and when he offered to walk me just down the street to my home I readily agreed. He smiled as I kicked up leaves and stared wide eyed at the moon.

"Carlisle, would you like to come in for some coffee?" I asked shyly. He nodded with a smile and followed me into my kitchen.

"You know, Isabella, it was nice to actually spend time with somebody around here. I'm beginning to understand the term 'southern hospitality'." He chuckled.

I turned around to reply and felt his lips press to mine, entirely forgetting the coffee. The kiss deepened and heated quickly as we made our way back to my room.

"Are you married?" I asked as he slid my clothes off my body.

"Divorced." He mumbled, slipping off his shirt.

"Kids?"

"Three boys."

He told me as he dropped his jeans to the floor. I knew how much older he had to have been, and I knew that I probably should've mentioned my own age that night, but with Adonis lying naked in my bed- I honestly didn't think it was of any importance. We spent that night worshipping each other's bodies, and when the morning light hit my eyes I damn near thought I was dreaming, until he woke up. He rolled over and smiled at me with his crystal blue eyes lit up like the Northern Lights, and it took my breath away. There was no awkward post-sex talk; we simply decided to allow our little fling to continue until we both went our separate ways.

I made sure he knew exactly how old I was that day, but it never seemed to matter. He was such a good person; it blew my mind that a thirty one year old man had taken care of three adopted teenagers. He often told me stories of the adorable things they'd done throughout their childhood, and I came to love them as mine, almost.

"Edward, my ex-wife and I adopted while he was in kindergarten, and my other two sons were adopted their fifth year of primary school. They all had an issue with covering the house in flower, and Esme never seemed to appreciate the humor in it." He told me with a loving smile towards the thought of his unconventional family.

It never bothered me that he had children or was fourteen years my senior; he was an amazing man and great in bed- that's all that ever mattered.

How could you possibly judge such a wonderful heart off the number of years it's been beating?

We spent all the time we could together, going out on dates and spending quiet nights in my empty house when he didn't have to do paperwork at the office, but we had both decided that it'd be ridiculous to try and keep our love affair going after we'd went our separate ways. That small fact never stopped us from enjoying one another's company to the fullest; it also didn't stop me from falling in love with him. It did, however, stop me from telling him. Neither of us dared speak it, although for a while I was so sure we both felt it.

I remember the day that I realized it. We were having a day out, exploring the local hiking trails. Out of sheer thoughtlessness, I decided to walk across a tree trunk that'd fallen over the river during a storm- it looked stable. Carlisle had turned around to take a picture of something on his cell phone when I decided to start to walk across the log. A bird swooped narrowly passed my ear, and as I tried to regain my balance, the log rolled. I screamed as I fell into the water and tried to swim to the bank. The current was so strong; I just couldn't fight it. When I'd nearly given up, I felt a strong arm wrap around me and pull me out of the water. On the river bank, he pulled me into his lap and held me tightly; I could feel him shaking in fear.

"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

I nodded and he pressed his lips against mine in the sweetest kiss we'd ever shared, and I fell completely in love with him right at that moment.

Needless to say, having to say goodbye was anything but easy for me. I'd driven him to the airport, him having already returned his original rental car, and as we kissed goodbye I knew life would never be the same. His lips softly pressed against mine as he clutched my hips, and my heart tore. But if you'd have looked at him as he walked away you wouldn't have known he cared, and I made damn sure I looked the same. He looked back at me just before he boarded the plane and said

"Bell, please stay safe. For me." And then he was gone.

I made it to my car without a single tear, but the second I shut the driver's side door I collapsed into a wave of sobbing. I must've sat in that parking lot for a full hour before revving my engine and driving home. Once there, I made sure I loaded everything into boxes, leaving nothing but a suitcase of clothes. I called a moving company and had the boxes immediately loaded onto a truck.

"Uh, Miss Swan we found this underneath the bed frame." A mover told me as he handed me a white button up shirt, Carlisle's.

I grasped a hold of the material and was hit with a wave of our memories together. Deciding I couldn't spend another night in the house, I put the shirt in my suitcase and ran to my truck. I couldn't stay a night alone in a house meant for the two of us. I stayed that night at an inn and the next day was on a plane to Washington, leaving all but one piece of Carlisle in Texas.

The plane ride was awful and my head was reeling, but I stayed sane through journaling. I knew I'd never see Carlisle again, and that I'd soon have to move on and start over, but I wasn't in Washington yet; I still had time to grieve.

And so I did.

I let the tears fall down my face for hours as I wrote down every memory I'd ever had of Carlisle. Over and over I rewrote my pain, and wondered at what Carlisle was doing at that particular moment. The thoughts that ran through my head tortured me.

_He forgot about you._

_You meant nothing to him._

_He could never love you._

_He's with someone else. _

_Right this very moment, he's telling her everything that he ever said to you._

Hard as I tried, the thoughts wouldn't go away. So I spent my six hour plane ride bawling in my seat, trying to ignore the flight attendant's worried glances at me, and forcing myself to purge the pain and prepare to start my new life in Forks.


	2. Starting Over

New town, new school, and a population of less than a thousand- yup, you have got to love Forks, Washington. These kids acted like they were in the sixth grade instead of being seniors in high school. My first day was hell without a leash: everybody stopped what they were doing to stare at me; everyone thought they were supposed to be my new best friend, and worst of all were the never-ending questions.

"Where are you from?"

"Do you have a gun?"

"How hot is Texas?"

"Have you ever met George Bush?"

The questions never stopped! I assumed that since it was EVERYBODY'S first day there would be at least one other new student, but evidently: nobody ever moves in or out of Forks.

"Other than the Cullens, of course, who moved here freshman year. There's three of them, but their parents apparently split way back when they were in eighth grade. Edward is the taller one, Jasper the quiet southern one, and Emmett the big, bulkier one. Don't waste your time on them though Bella, because they certainly won't waste theirs on you." Some incessant red-head, Jessica- I think, told me at lunch. Her voice was laced with resentment, and I wondered how many times she had been shot down by one of the Cullens.

Not being able to handle the ridiculous drama anymore, I said my goodbyes and rushed outside. I sat down, but was quickly interrupted by the tall, bronze-haired boy that I recognized as Edward, sitting himself down next to me. I turned to him out of sheer irritation and lost my temper.

"Yes, I am Chief Swan's daughter. No, not every person in Texas owns a gun or works on a farm. NO I have NEVER met a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader, and NO I DO NOT WANT TO HELP YOU SAVE A HORSE." I screamed at him. To my surprise, he chuckled.

"Well, I am son to , not every person in Forks is that pushy, I enjoy long walks through the forest, and I only came outside for a cigarette. Now that we know each other, I think I'll light this." He said humorously as he lit his cigarette.

"God, I am so sorry! It's just that EVERYBODY has been so irritating with all of their questions, and I'm so sick of being the center of the Forks High School Social World." I told him, and again he chuckled.

"Don't sweat it, cowgirl." He told me.

We sat and talked about trivial things until he stubbed out his cigarette and the bell rang.

"Were to, my lady?" He grinned.

"Biology, if you please, kind sir." I replied cheekily as I placed my hand in the crook of his arm, and we walked through the courtyard.

Entering the science building, we walked through crowds of jaw-dropped students, and the rumor mill began once more.

"It seems the only available desk in the classroom would be the one next to mine; I hope this doesn't prove to be an issue." He smirked.

Over the next few weeks Edward and I got really close, his odd formality dropping easily. We knew damn near everything about each other, and I even told him a bit about Carlisle. Not his age or name, but I did tell Edward that I fell in love with a man who was supposed to be a fling, and that he had to go back home too soon for my liking.

I also got closer to the other two Cullen children, Jasper and Emmett, along with their girlfriends- Rosalie Hale and Alice Brandon. Students gawked at me when I walked with any of them in the hallway, and were shocked to find that I sat with them in class and at lunch, but none were surprised the day Edward Cullen asked me out- other than me. It wasn't that I didn't like him, Edward was a great friend, but I wasn't over Carlisle.

_Oh, to hell with it! This will help get you over it!_ I told myself. So again, nobody was shocked that I said yes.

One day during biology he invited me over for movie night with his brothers and dad, and my jaw hit the floor- even Rose and Alice weren't allowed over on their family night, and I felt honored. I rode with Edward over to his house that day after school and my eyes widened at the cleanliness of the house. My house held only two people and was an eighth of the size of the Cullen home, and yet I couldn't keep it clean to save my life.

"Dad gives us decent sized chore lists, but does most of the cleaning himself." Edward mentioned, obviously noting my reaction.

I simply nodded in response and continued my tour of the home before settling down and playing a game of rummy with Emmett. Soon enough, it was seven and the boys went to pick out a movie as I made the popcorn. Suddenly a familiar musical voice rang through my ears and I heard the front door close.

"Hey boys, sorry I'm late." He shouted out. I was trying to place the voice as a tall man with slicked back blond hair entered the kitchen and locked his eyes with mine.

"Isabella?"

And I dropped the glass bowl of popcorn to the ground, leaving it shattered beneath me. I let my jaw drop as I continued to lock eyes with Carlisle Cullen.


	3. Remember Me?

**A/N: I never did put a disclaimer in… **

**DISCLAIMER: My story and plot, but Stephanie Meyers' characters I am not a thief! :D And as for language, sex, Edward bash, GET OVER IT 3 Oh, and please DO try to remember to read my author's notes They are, occasionally important :D**

**3; Momo**

"Bella, what the hell happened?" Edward said before taking notice of his father, who was still staring at me as I continued picking glass up off the floor.

"Oh, Dad must've surprised you. Hey dad- I told you I was bring my girlfriend Bella over tonight, didn't I?" I finally stood up from my busy work and placed the glass in the trashcan before noticing Carlisle's gaze shift to Edward as he strung together a half-hearted reply.

"Oh, yes. I mean, you must've, but things have been busy at the hospital. Hello Miss Bella, it's wonderful to meet you at last. You seem to make a good friend to all of my sons; Edward has told me quite a bit about you. You're from Texas, correct?"

Inwardly, I rolled my eyes as Edward came back with "No Dad, Tennessee. I've told you this over and over again!"

Carlisle cocked an eyebrow my direction as I said "No Edward, Texas. San Antonio, Texas."

Edward turned red in apology and slipped an arm around my waist. Carlisle's eyes glanced down and then back up to my face, which was angled towards the floor. Edward and I began making more popcorn as Carlisle excused himself to "go change into more casual wear". Ten minutes later we all sat on the couches and Emmett put in a movie.

"Jelly, I picked this one for you. We'll all hate it, but it was worth it to see you smile." Emmett shouted, a bit too loudly, over his shoulder.

Carlisle sent him a confused glance before Emmett explained "Jasper and I call her Jelly, like Jelly Belly Jelly Bean." Carlisle chuckled before Emmett said proudly "And it drives Edward nuts."

Edward shot Emmett and Jasper a glare and then looked back to his father and explained, "Her name is Isabel and they-"

"It's Isabella." I corrected.

"Right. Well, it's Isabella and they call her _Jelly._ That isn't even a nick name for Isabella. It just seems stupid."

The conversation ended there as "Hamlet" began rolling across the screen.

All three of the boys were fast asleep half way through the movie, and when the credits began rolling Carlisle sent me a glance before saying quietly

"We have to discuss this."

I nodded in reply before beginning to crawl off the couch.

Edward threw his arm around me, hugging me to him, and exclaiming

"I love you more than that guy did."

I was fully aware he was half asleep, but questioned him anyway; I entirely forgot the fact that Carlisle was in the room.

"What 'guy' Edward?"

He let go and rolled over before saying very clearly. "The guy from Tennessee. I love you more than he did; I won't leave."

I kissed his forehead gently before replying quietly "It was Texas."

It was at that moment that I looked up to see a pained expression on Carlisle's face. He was staring down at Edward like he'd just been slapped in the face. It made me wonder if he could've ever actually cared about me, but I knew I couldn't let my mind go there. I shook the thought away and watched as he turned to me and his hurt contorted into anger. He gestured, and I followed him out into the hallway.

"Why are you here?" He demanded. "How did you find me? What do you want, Isabella?"

I was hurt. Awkward and wrong, I was still happy to see him and wished he would at least be happy to see my face. In an attempt to cover up the pain I was in, I rolled my eyes dramatically.

"I'm here because I was invited to be- an invitation you approved, by the way. I didn't 'find you'; it just so happens that God was in a sadistic mood and stuck us in this situation. And what I wanted was a pleasant evening with my boyfriend and friends."

"You will not take advantage of my son. This 'relationship' needs to be ended immediately. Why did you mention me? How exactly do you plan on explaining that the man who left you in Texas was his father? Why are you doing this to him?"

I crossed my arms over my chest and angrily explained "I was NOT and am not taking advantage of Edward in any way, shape, or form, and I am NOT breaking up with him until HE gives me a reason to. He was my friend before we started a relationship, and the way I spent my summer was brought up in a conversation. I don't plan on explaining anything that happened in Texas to him, and I'm not doing ANYTHING to him, Carlisle!"

He rolled his eyes in return and said "Then why are you dating your lover's SON? You can't tell me that there was no ulterior motive."

"Carlisle, I found out he was your son TWO HOURS AGO. When you left Texas I knew two things about you: your first name and your profession. "Cullen" was not something I associated with you." He crossed his arms and stared at me disbelievingly, although he knew that I was telling the truth.

"Do you…" He began, but decided against it and handed me my coat. Edward woke just then and quickly stumbled over to where I stood to give me what I believe was his attempt at a passionate kiss. I grabbed my phone off the side table and tried very hard to ignore the look of disgust and… hurt? in Carlisle's eyes. I called Charlie's phone twice before giving up and looking to Edward

"I need a ride home. You drove me, and Charlie isn't answering his phone."

Still sleepy and confused, Edward looked to Carlisle and said

"Will you do it, dad? I think I'm too tired to drive."

Carlisle nodded and pulled his keys out of the pocket of his coat. We walked to the black Lexus parked in the garage, and he opened my door for me. I realized then that the next hour in the car was going to be spent in an awkward silence. After about ten minutes of driving, Carlisle looked over at me and said

"We're going to need to act as normal as possible, if you're going to continue hanging out with my boys."

"Alright, Mr. Cullen, whatever you say. I'm out of this town at the end of the school year anyway."

"Carlisle, and where to?"

I mumbled my response, in hopes that I wouldn't have to explain, but he was genuinely interested.

"What was that, Bell? Sorry, Isabella."

"No, it's fine. You've alwa- … It's alright for you to call me Bell, and I said "medical school"."

I saw a look of confusion cross his face. "You told me you hated the smell of hospitals."

"I do, but I figure I could get used to it. You… always made your job sound so amazing: challenging but still worthwhile." He said nothing, but out of the corner of my eye, I could see the small smile on his lips- it caused my emotions to whorl together in confusion.

We sat in silence for a few moments before I asked

"Would it be normal for us to carry on an actual conversation?"

He nodded.

"So, with as much time as I've heard that you spend with the boys, I assume you've gotten pretty close to Alice and Rosalie?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Alice is alright, but Rosalie just isn't my kind of person. My closest friend is Jasper, actually."

He chuckled. "My dear son, he sure has a way with people. So, will you be doing extracurriculars? They're very important for college entry."

"I was actually considering volunteering at the hospital, in the surgical ward, but I don't think I will."

"Look, Isabella, I am not going to be upset if you volunteer at the Seattle Medical Hospital. I'll… Well, I'll have you as my intern if you'd like."

I stared at the dashboard.

"I really didn't know you lived here. I didn't even know your last name."

"I know, Bell, I know…" He whispered. "I was just in shock. I never thought I'd see you again, and then seeing you with my son, like… like THAT… it was awful."

I nodded in understanding, about to reply, but Carlisle continued.

"I was amazed you were so happy with him."

I shook my head at this, but I'm not sure he noticed. The last half hour of the ride was spent quiet and when he pulled into my driveway I noticed an odd look on his face. For the sake of normality, I didn't ask about it.

"Thank you for the ride home, Carlisle."

"Thank you for attempting to get my boys to watch a culturally nourishing movie, Isabella."

I chucked and shut the door. Charlie was waiting inside with ice cream, and questions.

"Did you enjoy your time at Dr. Cullen's house?"

I nodded.

"Is Edward a good kid?"

Another nod.

"Are things serious between the two of you?"

I shook my head.

"Alright, Bella. I'm going to finish my ice cream and then head on up to bed."

I went to bed myself a few moments later and stared up at the ceiling. I pulled my journal out and wrote... When I was through I realized I'd taken up six pages, front and back, and two hours. I realized I needed sleep, but somehow couldn't seem to get it. It wasn't until hours later that I actually drifted off, with thoughts of Carlisle on my brain.

**A/N: Review it :D They honestly do make me put out chapters faster **


	4. Quit Pretending to be Asleep

I woke with a start the next morning, determined to accomplish something useful. I slipped into my running shoes and jogged down to the market, jogging back with our necessary groceries. Next, I cleaned the kitchen and showered. Noticing it was only seven, I decided to run the truck through a car wash on the way to school. My school day passed productively, and I was off again the moment that the bell rang.

Edward complained throughout the day that I was too busy, but I knew I needed to get back on track with my life. I drove to Seattle and pulled into the parking lot of a salon where Alice had recommended I go. I had my hair cut and was relaxing into a bubbling facial when I realized what city I was in. I waited for the salonist to removed my avocado mask before asking her

"Where's Seattle Med.?"

She smiled at me and wrote the directions down on the back of my receipt. I gave her a great tip and then got in my truck and carefully followed her directions. When I pulled into the parking garage, I was a bit anxious- I had no idea where I was supposed to go to. I stumbled over to the elevator and pressed the up button, and when the doors slid open I was flooded with relief. There was Carlisle, inspecting a chart in front of him. I stepped in, and his eyes shot up immediately.

"Bell! You surprised me! What are you doi- Oh, that's right! You're here to apply for internship."

I nodded nervously, and he chuckled.

" 'Apply' is just the standard way of putting it. You're already approved as my intern. Now then, we just need to go fill out some paperwork and discuss what is expected of you."

I nodded again and followed him onto the sixth floor, introducing me to a secretary who looked less than pleased to be bothered until she saw who was speaking to her.

"Shayleen, this is Isabella. We'd like to fill out her intern forms."

This Shayleen handed me a clipboard filled with papers, and a slip to Carlisle.

"Doctor Cullen, are you completely sure you'd like to hire such a young intern?"

He nodded and signed the paper before coming to sit down next to me. He took the clipboard from my hands and began writing and circling. I was amazed at how quickly he could fill them out; it was as if he remembered every detail I'd ever told him.

"Now then, I need your signature, and we need to discuss the days you'll be working."

I signed every paper, surprised to find out I'd be making money for helping him. We dropped them off at the desk and walked into an office marked "Carlisle Cullen- Head of Surgery". I wasn't aware that he held such a high title.

"Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are the easiest days for me to bring you with me, if you'd like. I also need to let you know that I work very long shifts sometimes, and won't always be able to take you home before ten. On occasions like those, you'll get a ride home with Jasper so that you won't have to work late. Is this alright with you?"

I nodded.

"Then Saturday mornings you need to be up and ready pretty early. Sometimes we'll come in at three in the morning, some days at noon- it depends. Monday and Wednesday you can just come home with the boys after school and you'll have a few hours to relax before getting ready. You'll need three sets of scrubs: Surgical scrubs, which can stay in your locker in the staff room, spares, which can also stay in your locker, and your work scrubs- for the less than pleasant aspects of internship." He told me.

I smiled "Thank you for this opportunity, Carlisle."

"I'm just pleased I could help in your career path. It's easiest if you get your beginner's hands on training done now as opposed to after medical school." He then handed me two books and told me "I'll quiz you constantly. You're to know the first half of each of these by Christmas. If I see that you are struggling, I'll have no problem helping, but it will mean less time with the boys, Bell. Are you completely certain you can handle this?"

I nodded hastily and smiled. "Bring it, Doctor Cullen."

He chuckled and told me "Your first day is Wednesday. Oh, and your hair looks nice."

I smiled, shook his hand, and left with a smile, completely ecstatic. I'd gotten even more accomplished than I expected. Now the hard part would be staying focused on Carlisle Cullen, my boss. Instead of Carlisle Cullen, who made me scream out his name at least twice a night for a month.

Turns out that the two Carlisles weren't very different after all- both very intelligent, had practically liquid movements, and worked incredibly well under pressure. I became well known around the hospital as the younger and most productive intern, and Carlisle commented on my progress often. However, with every compliment came something to improve upon.

"You've learned the technique very well, and can easily perform it, but you need to know when it's necessary."

The less work related compliments, however, were given on down days, and they always made me smile. He chuckled at my ridiculous scrubs and high pony tails, but I knew he loved them.

"Great puppies, Bell. I'm sure Mrs. Vandenburg will adore them." He told me one day.

Lucielle Vandenburg was very easily my favorite patient in the hospital: her husband had died the year before, and she was now permanently hospitalized due to a bungee jumping incident. Lucy was seventy six.

"Can't let those bastards get you down, Jingle Bell." She told me once. "First they take your job. They they've got your license, and next thing you know they take away your right to bungee jump- a woman has got to have her rights!"

I loved that woman.

"Yes, Ms. Lucy." I'd reply. She'd chuckle and tell me how she was feeling as I administered her pain meds, and she'd always ask about my life.

"You have the look, Jingle. Not just A Look, you have The Look, and I want to know about him."

I smiled. "He's tall, and very handsome. He's intelligent, sweet, funny, and there's not a chance in the world that he feels the same about me." I told her.

"Well, then he's deaf, dumb, and blind. You're quite the catch, Jingle Bell- I'm sure even that snatcher Dr. Cullen would agree."

I choked on the air and stared at her. She gave me a very knowing look and winked before drifting off. Yes, Lucy was easily my favorite patient.

With Halloween just around the corner, school was busy, and work was booming. I checked my schedule and realized Halloween fell on a Saturday night. I volunteered to work the entire weekend in order to improve my skills, but Carlisle wasn't too sure.

"Isabella, you need to understand what holiday weekends will be like here at the hospital. Friday, immediately after school, you'd be coming to the hospital. You'd get to go home around two the next morning but must be back by six. You'd leave your pager on, but try to get an hour or so of sleep around one Saturday afternoon. There'd be no more rest until the E.R. clears up at about six Sunday morning. Then you sleep an hour, work four more and finally go home. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are the seasons where children or families get together and attempt to do the stupidest and most lethal thing that they've done all year. You're seventeen years old- you need your fun, and you need your rest."

"Carlisle, I can handle th-"

"-No, Bell. Go to that Halloween party the boys are all going to. Socialize, party, dance with Edward…" He told me, looking away.

I nodded. Jasper picked me up early that night and came home with me for a bit. He was throwing a ball in the air as he glanced around my room.

"You don't love him." Jasper told me plainly. "He says it, and all you ever do is smile and kiss him. You do exactly what I do with Alice."

I considered lying, but knew Jasper wouldn't fall for it.

"I fell in love with someone who I shouldn't have ever fallen for. He walked away from me, and it still hurts. Edward knew it when he asked me out, and I hoped it'd be a healing process if I tried moving on and dating someone entirely different, but…"

"But love doesn't work that way. You're always going to love him."

I leaned against Jasper in an attempt to stop the tears from falling, and – as always- he knew just how to distract me.

"So, Dad won't let you work Halloween weekend?"

I nodded, irritated.

"Need a ride to the hospital on Friday? I heard that your truck's been acting up."

I threw my arms around his neck in thanks, and we spent the rest of our time talking about nonsense. As he walked out the door, he said

"You won't ever love him, Jelly. Might as well face the music and end it."

"So should you, Jasper." I told him.

All he said was "I know." Before leaving me to my thoughts

The next day, Thursday, the halls of Forks High were buzzing with excitement and drama. The "Forever Couple" had broken up.

Alice was pregnant.

Jasper was gay.

They cheated.

He beat her.

She was gay.

Everyone was gay.

Anything those kids could come up with, they did, but it didn't seem to wear on Jasper or Alice. She quietly accepted the split and corrected the rumors as she heard them. Jasper just chuckled and pranced around holding Emmett's hand and announcing their June wedding. Rosalie smiled as she leaned against the pillar and laughed at them. She looked over to me with a smile and said

"Even unconventional love can be true, I suppose."

The saying hit me hard, and I welcomed it. It was reassuring to know that just because my love for Carlisle was an aberration of heart didn't mean that it meant any less than it would have if we'd been a normal couple. I held this in my head and easily allowed the day to pass.

Three o'clock, Friday, rolled around, and I was ridiculously psyched. I'd armed my back pack with snacks, water, toiletries, and extra clothes, and I was ready to go. I rushed into the school bathroom and threw on my black scrubs and orange watch before rushing out to Jasper's Mustang. I clicked my seatbelt and smiled his way

"Thanks Again, Jay."

He ruffled my hair and pulled out of the parking lot.

"So, I've done my part. When are you planning on fulfilling your end of the deal?"

"What deal?" I asked him.

He glanced over and then back at the road. "The one where neither of us settles for Good when we deserve Best; the one we silently made last night about finding the One."

"I… Tuesday. Let me sleep Monday, and I'll handle Edward on Tuesday. And if you can't talk to me anymore afterward, I'll understand."

He snorted. "Nonsense! Emmett already knows too, and neither of us is going to lose our Jelly just because Edward gets his feelings a little bit hurt."

I smiled as we continued down the road. I decided to nap while I still could and drifted off until I heard the engine cut off. Jasper came around the car and opened the door for me. He kissed my forehead and wished me good luck before restarting the engine and pulling out of the lot. I signed in on the first floor and then booked up the stairs to the third- running head first into Carlisle, who looked livid.

"You aren't scheduled for today."

I nodded. "But you won't complain about extra help, so what do you need me to do?"

He shoved the Basics Clipboard into my hand and sent me a glare. For the next three hours I was cleaning wounds and giving stiches. I'd just finished sewing forty-six dissolvable stitches into the knee of an eight year old named Lizette, when Carlisle burst into the room.

"O.R. in three minutes, Isabella. Surgical Scrubs."

He left quickly, and I said goodbye to Lizette and her mother before running out of the room. I scrubbed in and entered the O.R. to find myself disgusted. It was only seven o'clock and we already had an incredibly serious surgery on the table. A young Matthew Kimley had flown out of the car he was driving in and was pierced by a tree branch through his abdominals. Carlisle entered in a hurry and the anesthesiologist put Matthew under immediately, although he'd already passed out from the pain.

"Isabella, wipe that look of your face and use the handsaw to remove the separate branches. QUICKLY, PLEASE." Carlisle told me.

Six other surgeons entered the room and began working to remove the thick branch. They all shouted for materials which I readily supplied, but after three hours of trying to remove the limb, there was nothing that they could do to save him- the branch had scraped his lungs and torn his intestines. Pronounced dead at ten thirty-six p.m., I stared at the cold, bleeding body of Matthew Kimley- my first surgery; my first dead patient. Carlisle put a hand on my shoulder and told me to go rest for a minute while he told the parents- the kid was only twenty three. I refused to stay seated and made the mistake of demanding to accompany him. The mother bawled and cursed God, and the little sister crawled under a chair and whimpered. The father, however, made an attempt to remain calm for the sake of the family. He spoke up immediately.

"Cullen, you did all that you could?"

Carlisle nodded.

The father nodded as well, collected his wife and daughter, and left.

Carlisle then looked to me.

"Are YOU alright?"

I nodded and told him "I want to call the boys."

He handed me his cell phone, and I dialed Jasper.

"Hey Dad, what's up."

"Nope, Jelly. I just needed to tell all three of you- put me on speaker- that I love you all and to be safe tonight and tomorrow."

Carlisle looked at his phone and smiled as a unison of voices yelled back

"We love you too. We'll be fine!"

I smiled and hung up. Once again, I was back to work- three basic surgeries, multiple rabies injections, some stiches, and a disgusting burn from a Halloween firework. Two in the morning rolled around, and I was practically sleep-walking. Carlisle looked the same as we walked to the car.

"I won't bring you back with me."

"Then I won't leave at all."

He huffed and mumbled an angry "Never mind."

I woke a while later to strong arms around me and Edward's voice in the background.

"What's wrong with her, Dad?"

"She's tired, Edward. She just worked a thirteen hour shift." He explained as I realized it was Carlisle's arms I was in. I decided not to stir.

"Then don't let her go back!"

"If I don't bring her back, she'll only find another way there- and who's to guarantee it'll be as safe as she'd be with me or your brother?" He explained before carrying me up the steps. When he opened a door, I immediately identified it as Jasper's by smell of his cologne. He placed me on the couch and told Jasper

"She needs a few hours. Please just be quiet."

He nodded and then sat next to me as soon as the door closed.

"I know you're awake." He told me.

I sighed. "I know."

He covered me in a blanket and turned his music low before getting back into his bed.

"Jelly?"

"Yes?" I replied exhaustedly.

"You and Dad are really close, aren't you?"

I hid my small smile behind the blanket and said "Well, I'd like to think so, yes."

Before shutting my eyes and drifting off.

No sooner had I fallen asleep than Carlisle was shoving a piping hot breakfast down my throat.

"Eat. You won't have time later."

So, I scarfed down every scrap of food he put on my plate, and then we were out the door again.


	5. Don't Rush It

We ended up not getting back to the hospital until eight in the morning, and Carlisle was stressing. He handed me two vitamins and demanded that I take them for a bit of energy before pulling me by the hand into the hospital. He told me to check the Basics Clipboard for anything new while he found out when we were in the O.R. again. As I flipped through the already checked off list, I noticed another intern- Janelle- staring at me with an odd look on her face.

"Do you need the board, Janelle? It's clean."

She rolled her eyes. "No, I was just thinking."

"Well, I'm glad you're doing what you're supposed to be doing." I told her before hurrying off to find Carlisle.

She jogged up next to me and said "Wait! Don't you want to know WHAT I'm thinking?"

I sighed. "Not in particular, no. I'd like to find Dr. Cullen and get back to what I'm here to do, but if it'll make you go away- shoot."

"Well, I saw you and Dr. Cullen in the parking lot. I was simply thinking that, well… _I _didn't go home with _my _boss today, and he has _never_ held _my _hand."

I turned on heel and looked at her.

"Yes, I went home with Carlisle- and slept on his son's couch- the son who happens to be my best friend, by the way. And he didn't hold my hand, you assumptuous little… he was pulling me into the hospital because I was half awake and lagging behind. Now, go do your fucking job."

Janelle huffed away as Carlisle walked up behind me.

"Bell, what was that about?"

Irritated, I took the clipboard from his hand and started walking in the direction of my next assignment before telling him

"She made implications that the reason I'm your intern is because we're sexually involved, which we aren't. She also decided to point out that I'm the only intern who gets a ride to and from work from their boss. I told her to get back to work."

He nodded and sent me a quick glance before taking off. The weekend was awful and hectic, and I needed sleep. I was half dead Saturday night, and Sunday morning Carlisle took me home, but I couldn't get into the house with the key on my ring. There was a note on the door in Charlie's scrawl.

"**The new key is under the mat, and I'm sorry I couldn't let you know ahead of time. I had some strange feeling that I needed to change the lock- not too sure why. Have you given a copy of your key to anyone? You know how I feel about you doing that. Anyway, I'll be back Monday night- decided to spend some time on the Reservation with Billy and Jacob. Swing by, if you aren't too tired, and do not miss school tomorrow. I'm proud of you for all your hard work and dedication, baby girl. **

**-Dad "**

Carlisle read the note over my shoulder and said

"Would you like to stay with us tonight? You can sleep in Jasper's room again."

I nodded and unlocked the door with the key I found underneath our hideous welcome mat. Then, I climbed the stairs with Carlisle in tow and started going through my closet. Carlisle looked around my room and smiled, approving of the décor.

I pulled an outfit from my closet and shoved it into my back pack, along with my school stuff. I noticed Carlisle staring at something on the floor of the closet: a small, folded, white square tucked into the corner. I crouched down, unfolded it, and held it up for him- his shirt.

"You left it in Texas- underneath my bed."

I had it gripped tight in my hand, my only tangible memory of My Carlisle. He glanced at my hand and then at my face, and gently took it from me. He then opened his wallet and pulled out a folded picture and handed it to me. I unfolded it and saw myself laughing at Sill's with a group of my friends- the picture had once been tacked on my wall. He took the picture from my hands and handed me back the shirt, and a small bit of my heartbreak was soothed. He had cared about me- didn't love me- but at least he cared. Carlisle cleared his throat in an attempt to rid us of the awkward moment, and we left the house quickly.

Both completely exhausted, we walked into the Cullen home an hour later with our heads hung and our shoulders slumped. Jasper hugged us both and smiled. Edward, however, wanted to know why I was going to bed at eight in the morning.

"Because I have been up for HOURS, and I haven't gotten any real sleep."

He cast an angry look at his father. "This internship isn't healthy for you, Bella."

I ignored him and climbed the stairs to Jasper's room. No sooner had I laid down then Carlisle came through the door.

"Charlie called your cell- I answered it and told him you were resting. He's asked that you stay here tomorrow as well, is that alright by you?"

I nodded, and then sighed as Jasper came into the room.

"You're staying two nights? Sweet. But you still have to tell Edward soon."

I was cranky, and they were interrupting my sleep. "Fine. Better yet Jasper, I'll do it right now. EDWARD!"

He came in the room and I cast a glance at Carlisle and Jasper, silently asking them to leave for a moment. Edward sat on the couch at my feet and rubbed my ankle. I pulled away from him and sat up.

"Edward, you're an amazing person, but at this point in my life- I don't think this is the kind of relationship that I need."

His eyes shot up to my face angrily. "What? You said you loved me!"

"No, Edward." I corrected. "I've never said those words to anybody. I simply smiled every time you said it. I hope we can be fri-"

He stormed out of the room, slamming the door like a child.

Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper all three walked into the room.

Emmett was the first to speak. "I guess he didn't take that as well as we'd all hoped."

Carlisle was confused. "'We all'? Did all of you but me know about this? And why did you break up with him anyway, Bell?"

I was beginning to drift off to sleep, and Jasper decided to answer for me.

"You weren't here to tell, Dad. And as for why: Jelly deserves love, and so do I. So we decided we're going to help each other find it."

Emmett spoke before Carlisle had the chance. "So, you two are together now?"

I sprung up off the couch. "No! No, we are not. Now, anyone who doesn't live in this room- shut the hell up and get OUT! I. AM. TIRED!"

All three of the boys ran from the room, and I drifted off quickly. I woke to yelling downstairs. Rolling over, I realized it was about two o'clock in the afternoon, and I felt well rested for the first time in days. The yelling got louder, and I decided the sneak out onto the staircase landing to see what was going on.

Emmett was sitting on the couch, Jasper and Edward standing on opposite sides of the room, yelling, and Carlisle in the middle of the room, looking incredibly frustrated.

Edward yelled at Jasper and Emmett, and Emmett stood angrily. "She's family, Edward, and we love her. She's not going anywhere just because you get a little butthurt about her deciding to be single!"

"I can't believe you're going to choose her over your own FAMILY. And Dad, you allowing this!"

The boys continued to scream back and forth, and Carlisle was rubbing his temples. After another minute of this, Carlisle's voice raised.

"ENOUGH! ALL THREE OF YOU, SIT! SHUT UP AND LISTEN!"

"Edward! We will try to be sensitive to your emotions through this ordeal, but you must realize that Isabella is Jasper's best friend, and Emmett and I are also incredibly close to her. She is not temporary- she is a part of this family no matter what her role. Emmett! Please apologize for throwing your chemistry textbook at Edward's ribs."

I heard Emmett mumble "Sorry Edward."

Carlisle nodded and said "Alright, now you go use that damn book. Now." He said, turning to Edward and Jasper. "Now, you two need to calm down. You're both in serious trouble right now. This is our home: all five of us, Bell included. And in this home, we love our family unconditionally."

"Family shouldn't date their brother's ex-girlfriend." Edward sneered.

Jasper chuckled. "You moron. I'm not dati-"

"ENOUGH!" Carlisle yelled. I had never seen him so angry, and it shook me.

"Edward! Jasper is not in any type of romantic relationship with your ex-girlfriend! And if he were, you should just be happy for his happiness! Jasper! You're being an instigator, and I am not enjoying it one bit! Now both of you apologize to one another, figure out how the hell to be brothers, and go to your rooms!" His voice boomed as he stormed up the stairs.

He saw me sitting there on the landing, shaking, with tears in my eyes, and scooped me into his arms. He took me into Jasper's room and sat down on the couch with me still in his arms, cuddled against his chest. He smoothed my hair and cooed to me softly.

"You're family, Bell. Always."

I don't think Carlisle noticed when Jasper came in the room, but when he saw us in the position we were in, he walked out immediately and silently. Carlisle continued to soothe me and eventually pulled my torso back so I would look at him.

"You will always be welcome in my home- no matter what."

He then kissed my forehead and set me on the couch. He reached into my backpack and grabbed my journal. He placed it in my hands and smiled as he set a pen in my lap. I was about to ask how he knew, but he answered the question before I asked.

"You wrote in that book every night when you thought I'd fallen asleep, and I saw you tuck it into you bag when I walked through the door some afternoons after work. It cheers you up and calms you own, so write it out, Bell."

I nodded and he left the room. I started to write, and Jasper came in and sat on the bed.

"You two really are close." He mentioned. "Usually, when Esme cried he'd feel uncomfortable and give her an awkward hug. Esme always cried- over absolutely nothing."

"Esme?" I asked, forgetting the name.

"Dad's ex-wife. She was horrible. The only person who ever actually liked her was Edward, her personal favorite." Jasper said.

"Why did they divorce?"

"She was an energy sucker. Dad could come home in the best of moods, but she'd be upset about something and, after an hour, Dad was depressed. They married because she put up an amazing front for him before the wedding, but the week after: all the sudden she wanted ridiculously expensive things, all his time and energy, and didn't want kids. Dad has always wanted children, and he wouldn't have married Esme if he'd known that she didn't. He begged for two years just to adopt Edward. He didn't bother asking if she had a problem with him adopting us too. She hated us. One day, it all just wore down on him, and he filed the papers."

"And then she flipped a bitch and tried to get all his money. It didn't work. Instead, she just remarried. Nasty whore." Emmett interjected from the doorway.

"Shit, Emmett." Jasper said. "You scared the hell out of me."

He smiled. "Sorry, I just came in to tell you that Edward decided to stay at Jason's house until Jelly can go home." I felt horrible, but I understood his discomfort.

We went downstairs and played ping pong in the pool room for a bit before I broke out my calculus book. Hours later, I was still struggling and about to quit. Carlisle sat next to me and picked the pencil out of my hand.

"You've got the steps down- now it's just simply errors: like here." He said, erasing the fourth step of my equation. I glared and then noticed Jasper watching us out of the corner of his eye. I refocused myself on the math. "Here," he told me. "You just forgot to write "squared" above "45x". See? You're rushing."

He then stepped away and announced. "Oh, by the way kids, apparently there was a Teacher Collaboration day that they failed to put on your school calendar. School is canceled tomorrow to give them time to hold it and allow you all a rest day, since this term seems to have hit the student body pretty hard. Bell, we still have to go to work tomorrow."

I nodded and finished up my homework before watching the boys wrestle around on the floor. Emmett accidentally knocked over a glass vase- it crashed and his palm rolled onto it a moment later. Emmett screamed and Jasper ran to go get a towel and my back pack. The gash in Emmett's palm was huge. I used tweezers from my bag to pull out the small chunks of glass and then scrubbed out the wound with peroxide. Emmett howled, but I quickly had his cut cleaned and stitched up. I looked to Jasper

"Go tell your father to find us some gauze."

A moment later Jasper returned with Carlisle at his side. Carlisle wrapped Emmett's hand and congratulated me on how well I handled the situation before asking what we wanted for dinner. In unison, the boys said

"Spaghetti and Meatballs!"

I offered to cook and then headed into the kitchen. I got the water boiling and poured in the noodles, somehow feeling comfortable in their familial kitchen. I was up to my elbows in hamburger meat when the boys ran through on their way to the game room to say thank you. Carlisle hung back and leaned against the door way, watching me.

"It's honestly very nice to see someone other than me use this kitchen; you seem right at home."

I smiled and continued cooking, enjoying the calmness of that moment.


	6. Jingle Bell

Dinner was ready by five, and I was content with my seating. Carlisle hadn't allowed the "head of the table" issue, and that left me quite comfortable as I sat at his circular, oak tree table while we ate. The boys joked incessantly, and Carlisle and I talked about medical journals that had been recently published. "_Like a happy little family", _I thought with a laugh.

Carlisle ventured off to his study after dinner, and I stayed up late with the boys as we watched "Shawshank Redemption". I must admit, it was quite a change from "Hamlet", but thank God for Morgan Freeman. Emmett teased me when I cried, and Jasper covered my eyes during the moments that he thought would upset me- I definitely watched through his fingers, but it was a nice gesture. All in all, it was an amazing night, until about one when Jasper and I started talking in his room.

I was slowly drifting off into dream realm when Jasper bursted into the silence with a confusing little statement.

"You make Dad's eyes lighter." He noted.

I was so lost in his words that I almost forgot to reply, but I quickly rectified that and hoped Jasper wouldn't notice the waiting period.

"What do you mean, Jay?"

"When he came back from his trip this summer, it was like he was broken. His wouldn't laugh or smile, and when he did, it was so clearly fake."

"What happened to him?" I asked, genuinely confused by the entire conversation.

"He wouldn't say much- and he only told me. Some woman broke his heart, worse than Esme."

At that point, I pretended to fall asleep, and Jasper's snoring soon filled the room. I laid there for nearly an hour, rolling his words through my head before I was so filled with rage that I had to act upon it. I silently closed the door behind me and climbed the stairs to Carlisle's floor of the house, already fuming.

The first door I opened led into what was clearly his bedroom, but the light was off. I took a few steps down the hallway and threw open the door to find Carlisle sitting at his desk with a picture in his hands- mine.

"Fuck you, Carlisle. Just… fuck you."

He jumped, startled and confused by the sudden attack. "Bell, I'm not sure what you mean."

I quickly crossed the room, bee-lining for his desk. I walked around it and stood in front of his chair, red in the face.

"I broke YOUR heart? You're the one who left!" Seeing his confused face, I clarified. "I spoke to Jasper; he happened to mention a summer fling you had."

Carlisle's eyes cleared and then filled with anger. "I left because you pushed me out the door! Had you once said the word "stay", I would have, but you practically packed my bag for me, Isabella."

"What was I supposed to do? Make you stay forever and never see your kids again? Beg you to take me with you?"

He stayed silent, but my rage wouldn't let me do the same.

"How dare you tell your son I "broke your heart"! You never even loved me!"

As soon as the words fell from my mouth, I felt his arms wrap around my waist as he pressed me to the desk. His mouth dominated mine and his hands pulled at my hips, our clothing falling to the ground in the process. Soon, I found myself on top of his desk, his name falling from my lips, and our mutual anger growing.

I walked out silently after putting my clothes back on, and my heart was torn again. I silently slipped down the stairs and through the door at the landing, putting myself back in the boys' space. Jasper's door squeaked open, but he seemed undisturbed as I shut it and laid my head down on the pillow. Faintly, I head him speak as I lost myself in sleep.

"Interesting…"

My head was filled with memories, glorified into dreams and then twisted into nightmares, and I was torn apart by the time I finally awoke, screaming for Carlisle. The moment my eyes opened, I found him in front of me.

"Are you okay? I head you scream from my study."

Rage filled me in memory of the night before. "I'm fine." I told him as I rose and exited the room. A few moments later, I found myself seated at the oak table with a plate of eggs and my darling friends.

Jasper leaned forward, concerned, and asked "Are you alright, Bella? We heard you scream for Dad…"

I mumbled "nightmare" and continued eating, hoping the topic would air out and be dismissed.

Quickly, I came to the realization that it would not be, and I left the table to study one of my textbooks from Carlisle. I curled up in a corner, and my flashcards were filled with information within twenty minutes of me opening the book. The boys fluttered in and out of the room for the next few hours, but I was so lost in the book that I just couldn't find it in me to care; Carlisle was nowhere to be seen for most of the day.

At two o'clock I dashed into the shower and quickly washed my face and hair with Jasper's soap, my lip curling back at the musky scent, before throwing myself into a pair of soft, deep green scrubs. I pulled my hair into a semi-high ponytail and curled the ends, purely for fun, after I put a small amount of makeup on and slid my feet into my work shoes. I grabbed my bag and headed down the stairs, running face first into Carlisle's chest.

Rage still boiled under my skin as I inspected his attire. "Dr. Cullen, we need to be at the hospital in an hour, and you've yet to dress."

He nodded his head and walked back up the stairs, slamming the door to his stairway loudly as he went. My rage simmered down, but it only proved to reignite as he shut the door to the Lexus twenty minutes later. We drove on in silence and exited quietly as we arrived at the hospital. Without a word, we stepped off the elevator and went our separate ways, he to his spread for the day, and I to the Basics Board.

For a few hours, we seemed to have completely separate schedules, and it almost felt as if the fates understood our inability to handle each other for the day. Until, that is, I was checking up on a regular, and Carlisle stepped into the room with a solemn expression.

"A word in the hall, please, Isabella. Janelle can handle this from here."

I nodded and silently followed, shutting the door behind me.

"Mrs. Vandenburg is having complications. We aren't expecting her to make it much longer. Please, feel free to spend your remaining hours tonight in her room…" He said quietly as Janelle rushed into the room we'd just exited, casting us a "knowing" glance as she went.

I didn't reply, instead opting to make my way to Lucy's room in silence. Carlisle, as expected, didn't follow me. She looked up with a painful smile as I entered, following me with her eyes. She coughed violently before she began to speak.

"Well, Jingle Bell, it looks like the good Lord is getting impatient with my antics. So, I suppose I will have to see you another time…"

Her voice crackled, and Carlisle entered quickly, having heard her heart monitor ring out from down the hall. She winked at me as he sat down at my side, his hand rubbing my back comfortingly as his other intertwined with mine on the bed.

"But before I go, I must say… That man we spoke about- he cares more than you'd think." She then stretched her hand out to lay on top of mine and Carlisle's and told us "Don't ever let your love hide or fade, or it may just disappear altogether. Dr. Cullen, you take good care of my Jingle Bell; I'll be checking up on you from time to time." I soaked in her words as she caressed my face, and when her hand dropped, the monitor gave one long, final buzz before quieting into a dull murmur.

It took a moment before I realized what had happened, but when it finally sank in I allowed my tears to overcome my attempt at strength. I pressed my face into Carlisle's chest and felt his arms wrap around me as my body wretched with sobs. After a few moments, the room filled with people and we quietly stepped over to the desk. Carlisle filled our numerous fourms and then pulled me by the hand, out the door. Overwhelmed with grief, I didn't notice the time –nearly three hours before our shift was due to end- or the hour long drive back to the Cullen home. We stepped through the door to find Emmett and Jasper in the middle of a heated debate which ended abruptly as they heard my murmuring sobs.

Jasper shot up immediately to hug me while Emmett asked "What's wrong with Jelly?"

Carlisle minutely explained and then told them he was going to put me in bed and talk me through this, and I felt like a child. He wrapped an arm around my back and another at my knees, and carried me up the stairs. For a moment, I half expected him to put me down on Jasper's couch and walk away, but as he opened the door to his stairwell, I knew this wasn't going to be the case. Quietly, he opened his bedroom door and set me down in a chair, returning with a pair of plaid boxers and a white shirt. When I made no move to reach for them, he knelt down in front of me.

"Bell…" He sighed. "Bell, please don't just shut down."

Still, I couldn't move. Gently, he took a wet rag and wiped the makeup from my face, embarrassing me at my own inability to behave like an adult. However, I could see the pain in his own eyes, and I was slightly comforted by the fact that losing Lucielle had affected him too. When my makeup had been completely removed, he carefully pulled my shirt over my head and replaced it with the white one he had brought. I reclined slightly as he removed my pants and allowed him to replace them with the shorts he had provided as I sat in numbness.

Then, he lifted me and placed me beneath the duvet on his bed, pulling up a chair beside it. After a moment, he seemed to find his words and looked up at me.

"Bell, Mrs. Vandenburg was aging and perfectly ready to go. She would've wanted you to smile in her memory, not cry."

I nodded, but didn't speak. "In the time she was at Seattle Medical, she never reacted to _anyone_ the way that she did to you. You made the last few months of her life happy and fun-filled. We have NEVER had an intern bring in a video game system for a patient after hours and play with them- especially not an elderly patient. She enjoyed her time with you, and she had the opportunity to feel free and alive while hospitalized because of what you did for her. Please, just remember that she loved you, and she wouldn't want to see you like this."

"Thank you." I mumbled as he stood, kissing my cheek and stepping away from the bed. He dimmed the lights and was stepping out of the room when I breathed out

"Stay."

I didn't think he'd heard me until he turned around and shut the door, shredding his overshirt and slacks as he stepped towards the bed. He climbed under the blanket and laid down, his arms wrapping around me. He sang quietly as I drifted off, my body pressed against his and my head on his chest.


	7. You Stayed

In the morning, I woke to the sound of an opening door.

"Dad, I can't find Bella, is she alr-" He paused mid-sentence as he noticed the position we lay in, and I'm sure that he recognized the shirt I was wearing,

"I'll talk to you later on, Jelly. Go back to sleep" he said as he slipped out of the room.

Carlisle and I lay there, just staring at each other for a moment before either of us spoke. His hand lay on my face gently, and I pressed my body against his.

"Bell… I never wanted to leave…" He said quietly, so quietly that I almost couldn't hear him speak.

"Then why did you?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"I thought that was what you wanted- to forget about me. It was only supposed to be a fling."

I climbed out of the bed and stepped into a large, burly robe. "It wasn't ever just a fling, not for me at least." I told him as I left the room.

Faintly, I must have imagined hearing him reply. "Me either."

I stepped into Jasper's room and had barely enough time to get dressed before he entered.

"Need a ride to school today, Jelly?" He asked.

I smiled and nodded, deciding against letting Carlisle drive me. My emotions didn't feel very certain at the moment, and I needed the day to let it all settle in. If I had to, I could discuss it all tomorrow, but I wasn't sure if I could handle it today. As we parked, Jasper stared at me.

"You two have history, don't you? He's never been that way with anyone."

I checked my watch and realized we were a half hour early, so I couldn't use class as an excuse to slip away. I simply nodded.

"Jelly, why didn't you love my Dad?"

I choked as the words came from his mouth.

"I have no idea what you mean, Jasper."

"Well, I know you did love him, I guess, I mean, you've told me so, but why didn't you want him to stay?"

Realizing what he was referring to, I immediately threw up a guard. "Jasper, I have absolutely no clue what you're talking about."

He laughed, seeing through my lie easily. "This summer, Dad met 'the woman of his dreams' in San Antonio. But at the end of his stay, she acted like he'd never meant a thing to her. Jelly, why would you do that to him? You told me you loved him."

I sighed, realizing I would have to answer his question. "Jasper, I loved him more than I ever thought I could love anyone. And when he had to leave, it broke my heart, but he had a job and a family to go back home to, and he didn't love me. How could I possibly ask him to stay?"

"Why don't you try telling all that to him, Bella?"

I knew it wasn't a question I was supposed to answer, and we walked through the halls without speaking. He left me at the door to my first class and gave me a hug before walking away, leaving me the entire day to think about what he'd said. It was illogical, to me, how Carlisle could describe me as the woman of his dreams. He'd never said anything even close to that.

Classes up until lunch dragged on and on, but the bell for Biology to begin rang through far sooner than I would have liked. As I entered the classroom, I felt Edward's eyes on me, and I shook in my shoes. I took my seat, and he greeted me warmly with a hug and a smile. Stunned, I pulled away.

"Bella, I'm not going to bite you. I just figured that since you decided you wanted to take a break, I should just be friendly and be here for you if you need me."

Uneasily, I hugged him back, and the class buzzed with rumors of our "soon to come" reconciliation. The period passed easily, and I was soon on my way home. I walked through the door to find that Charlie had already torn the house apart, and he wasn't home to help me pick it up. Frustrated, I cleaned every surface I could possibly find, and then soaked in the bathtub for about an hour.

As I dried my hair I heard the doorbell ring, and I realized I had a handful of missed calls from an unknown number. I wrapped my towel tightly around me and made my way down the stairs. I opened the door to find a red eyed Carlisle dressed in his work clothes, hair mussed and uncombed.

"Carlisle…"

"I couldn't think. I had to leave work; the boys can't know that I'm like this."

I led him by the hand into my living room and sat down on the couch, leaving him room to sit.

"Carlisle," I began, "Just talk to me. Please."

He turned and looked down at me, staring into my eyes. "The day I met you, I knew I had to see you again. And then that night, when you mentioned your age, the first thing that popped into my head was "Dear Lord, she could date one of my boys!""

"Carlisle." I interrupted, not wanting a list of reasons for why I wasn't good enough.

He shook his head. "Bell, please let me finish…" He paused, waiting for me to speak, and continued on after he realized that I was, in fact, doing as he asked. "But for some reason it just didn't matter. I didn't care how young you were… I just wanted to kiss you- to hold you. And then, sooner than I realized, it was time for me to leave. I wanted you to cry, to beg for me to stay, but you didn't. You smiled and chit-chattered the entire way to the airport, and when we pulled in, you didn't even hesitate to get out of the car. You were literally just throwing me out of your life. By the time we reached the gate, I'd already realized that was exactly what you wanted. You didn't love me."

My heart and my mouth were burning to correct him, but I knew that it wasn't the time. "Why are you telling me all of this, Carlisle?" I asked him.

"Jasper told me to. I've been thinking about it all day; he pushed me over the edge this morning."

_Fine, Jasper. I suppose we'll both listen to you._ "I suppose it's my turn to talk then."

He lifted his head from his hands and asked, "What else is there left to say, Bell?"

"I loved you more than I thought was possible. And when you had to leave, it broke my heart, but we weren't supposed to get attached. Not only that, but you had three kids and a career to go home to. How was I supposed to ask any man to give up his entire life? Especially a man who didn't love me."

"Bell, that night in my office, didn't you realize what you'd said to me?"

I shook my head, my mind flashing through the memory of our anger filled passion.

"You told me I didn't love you. I tried to show it to you then, that I do, but I was so angry that you could say that. I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"You do, what?" I asked, scared that I had misinterpreted.

He took my face in his hands and kissed me softly. "I love you, Bell; I have since the moment we met."

Tears fell from my eyes; it was too good to be true. "I love you too, Carlisle- since that very first day."

It was then that we finally let our barriers go, our hearts and souls completely consuming each other; it was the first time I'd ever made love to anyone, and it was sheer bliss.


	8. We'll Make It Through This

**A/N: **

**Alright, folks! This is the last chapter up until TUESDAY! :) UNLESS, I get enough reviews, in which case I will do so on SUNDAY! :) SO REVIEW AFTER YOU READ IT PLEASE :)**

**:3 Momo**

* * *

A few hours later, Carlisle left for home, and I found myself content in my bed. I wasn't really sure how to take the events of the day, but I had a feeling things were going to get better. As I drifted off, I felt my phone vibrate.

One New Message: Jasper

"You two talk today?"

I considered ignoring it when I got another.

"I'm happy for you guys, Jelly, but this shit isn't going to go over well with anyone."

Me: "I know… But it'll be worth it. Things are going to get weird…."

Jasper: "We'll work through it. He's picking you up for school tomorrow, J.S.Y.K."

"Kay, night."

"Night."

It didn't take long for me to fall asleep, and it took even less time for me to dream of him. I woke up repeatedly, feeling around my bed to insure that it really was just a dream. Each time, I was disappointed to discover that it was, in fact, only a dream. The third time, I walked over to my closet and put his shirt on over my tank top before crawling back into bed; I slept soundly through the rest of the night.

The next morning I woke up half an hour earlier than usual, bearing a terrifying feeling of insecurity. I straightened my hair and chose an outfit, trying to remember what I wore the first night that we'd gone to dinner. It wasn't hard; he'd asked me to wear it a few times during his stay, hinting, in his odd form of subtlety, that he preferred me in a forest green color. I found the shirt and pulled it over my head before heading off to the bathroom.

I finished my makeup just in time as I heard the doorbell ring. _CHARLIE! _Sure enough, I heard my father and Carlisle speaking a few seconds later. Grabbing my bag, I snuck down the stairs in time to overhear the end of their conversation.

"Well, it's mighty nice of you to go out of your way for her, Dr. Cullen, we just can't seem to get the truck fixed up properly." The niceness in his tone made me shake a bit; I had a feeling that this wouldn't go over well when I got home.

"I don't mind in the slightest, Charlie, I can assure you of that."

My father nodded, and I came around the corner. Carlisle winked at me, knowing that I was listening in, and we headed out the door. Carlisle opened my car door for me, and he was in the driver's seat before I blinked an eye.

"I apologize for my earliness, if it inconvenienced you…"He said with a smile.

"I expected it, honestly." I muttered, lost in thought. It was then that I noticed how far from the school we had gone. I glanced over at him ,and he chuckled.

"I figured we should talk. About us."

"What is there to discuss, Carlisle?"

He glanced at me. "Isabella, I love you."

I smiled and laid my hand on top of his on his leg. "And I love you."

A smile graced his face, and he visibly relaxed after hearing it. "I want to be with you."

I smiled and let him continue. "But there's the issue of Edward, of Charlie, of your peers, our coworkers, and the issue of legality."

He was about to continue, but I interrupted. "I am eighteen years old- legality and Charlie aren't an issue. "Peers" and coworkers can shove it- there's nothing illegal about dating your intern."

"And then there's Edward. Bell, I can't lose my son."

"So we'll talk to him. We'll have dinner tonight before I have to go into work. Will you be able to make it home?"

He smiled and nodded as we pulled into the school parking lot, kissing my cheek and releasing my hand.

"I love you, Bell."

"And I, you."

I stepped onto the sidewalk and immediately spotted Edward and his brothers leaning against the building, As soon as Edward saw his father's car pull away; he put a cigarette in between his lips and lit it.

"What was that about?" He asked, referring to my method of transportation.

I shrugged. "Needed to talk."

Edward rolled his eyes and mumbled under his breath about how boring our work was, and I chuckled.

"Oh, by the way guys, tonight I'm making dinner, so you all better be home." I teased, knowing that they would be anyway. They all nodded and agreed, and we headed off to class.

The day dragged on and on, boring me to a level of insanity, and it wasn't long before school was out for the day, and I was sitting in Jasper's car on my way to the Cullen home. He kept glancing over at me, worried.

"Jelly, how are you going to tell Edward?"

I shrugged, silently terrified. "I suppose we'll just start from the beginning."

He nodded, and we continued our drive in silence. The road seemed to drag on forever, but eventually we made it home, and I realized that that was exactly what the Cullen house had become for me: Home. Stepping through the door, I knew dinner had already been made.

"Dad," Edward said, surprised. "You aren't usually here when we get home."

Carlisle glanced at me before replying. "I wanted to speak with you, but that can wait until dinner. In the meantime, you've got a couple chores to do."

Each of the boys nodded, hugged their father, and went off to do their chores; we were completely alone. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me against him, my arms wrapping around his neck. He kissed my neck and then worked his way up to my jaw, my cheek, and then finally my lips, and I had no idea what to do with myself.

Carlisle pulled back and stared into my eyes, his crystal blue overwhelming me as he said,

"We'll make it through this."

There was no question, no challenge, just a simple promise that we wouldn't let this love get away from ourselves, not again.

The boys quickly wrapped up their chores, and it was five before we even knew it. Swiftly, Carlisle dished out plates before taking his place at my side, his hand resting on my thigh. The boys started eating, enjoying the food, while I couldn't stomach it. I rose from the table and grabbed a glass of water before taking my seat again.

"Boys," Carlisle began authoritatively. "I am sure you recall my trip to San Antonio this summer…?"

After each gave a nod of confirmation and had their eyes on him, he continued; I was amazed by how well he handled them.

"During my stay, I met a woman who I came to love very much, but when it was time for my stay to end, each of us believed that the other did not share the feelings we had, and we never expected to see each other again. Fortunately, we had an odd coincidence that insured that such a thing did not happen."

Emmett interrupted with "So, Dad, you have a girlfriend now?"

He chuckled and gave me a sideways smile. "Yes, I suppose that is what I'd call her."

Edward half-smiled and said "That's great, Dad! When do we get to meet her?"

This time, it was Jasper's turn to chuckle. "Edward, I would like to introduce you to our father's girlfriend, Isabella Swan." He said, standing up and giving an extravagant bow in my direction.

"WHAT?" Edward and Emmett yelled in unison.

This time, it was my turn to explain. I squeezed Carlisle's hand and felt him tighten his grip.

"When I dropped him off at the airport, I didn't know where he was going; I sure as hell didn't know his last name. So, when I met you three, I didn't make the connection. I knew that Carlisle had children, and I knew one of their names- yours, Edward- but I didn't actually see any relation. Then, I came over for your family movie night, and in walked the man I never thought I'd see again."

"The broken bowl…" Emmett muttered.

"Yes, it was definitely a surprise. Needless to say, it complicated the relationship I had started with Edward, and I knew I needed to end it."

Edward stood up from the table. "So, what you're saying is… You broke up with me to FUCK MY FATHER?"

Immediately, Carlisle released my hand and stood up. "Edward! I have raised you better than to ever have spoken to ANY woman like that, regardless of the situation!"

"Well, I don't think those morals come in to play in this case, since I was clearly raised by a sick, twisted pervert! "

This time, it was Emmett that yelled. "Edward, he is not a pervert! Bella's eighteen and perfectly able to say "no" if she wants to! Shouldn't you just be happy that he's finally found someone who might be right for him?"

"MOM WAS RIGHT FOR HIM!" He screamed, storming up the stairs.

Carlisle hung his head and placed his face in his hands; I knew I couldn't be of much comfort. I tried though, wrapping my arms around him and kissing his forehead.

"Love, we WILL make it through this; we knew it wasn't going to be easy."

I lifted my head and saw Emmett and Jasper gazing at us with a look of wonder.

"Do you love him, Jelly?" Emmett asked.

I nodded my head and whispered, "More than anything."

Emmett stood and made his way around the table, wrapping his arms around his father; Jasper quickly followed suit.

"Then we're happy for you."

* * *

Work was hectic, and Carlisle was a mess. The drive there was silent, but the drive home was filled with questions.

"Do you think he understands?" – "Not yet, but he will."

"Does he hate me now?" – "No, he's just angry."

"Am I a bad father?" – "Never."

It got to the point where Carlisle had to pull over on the side of the road. There, he collapsed in an outburst of sobbing. I was shocked, to say the least, to see the man I'd always seen as unbreakable so openly torn apart, and I knew I needed to help. I pulled his head into my lap and ran my fingers through his hair, singing to him under my breath. After five minutes of this, he had finally calmed enough to return me home, and I knew that we would, through struggles and criticism, make it through everything.


	9. Shattered Mirrors

I didn't really sleep that night; I have a feeling that Carlisle didn't either. But I considered myself lucky- I couldn't think due to my own personal anxieties, and he was up dealing with an angry, hurt son. It kept eating at me that I couldn't help, but I knew that going over to the Cullen home would be of absolutely no help at the moment.

After about two hours of sleep after four a.m., I found myself grudgingly showering and dressing for school. I was in no way excited for the day, but I knew I needed to push through. An hour and a half later, I was locking the door behind me and preparing for a long walk in the snow when I saw the Lexus pull up on the curb. The passenger door opened, and I saw Carlisle waving me towards the car from the driver's seat.

"I figured I'd have time to see you off to class before I headed into work. I hope you don't mind."

I could see behind the fake smile, and I knew he'd just needed a distraction, but I was honestly nervous about the idea.

"You are aware that Forks High School spreads gossip faster than Oprah, correct?"

He nodded and continued driving. Much to my surprise, he parked the car in the school's lot and came around to open my door. After shutting it, he grabbed my hand and allowed me to direct him to my first period class. Against the wall, I saw Edward with a cigarette hanging from his mouth and distracted Carlisle by making a rather large scene of falling on my face.

From the ground, I saw Edward glance up, drop his cigarette, and smash it while Carlisle helped me up. We continued our walk through the school hand in hand, receiving looks from teachers and students alike. When we finally reached the door, he simply shrugged off the looks and kissed me in front of everybody in the vicinity.

"I love you, Bell."

I smiled and kissed his cheek, silently returning the words before heading to my seat. Every person watched me as I sat down, and it only took five minutes after the ringing of the bell for my desk to be flooded with notes. Each asked the same, expected question, to which I simply replied "yes" and continued to write down the material on the board.

After the period, I could tell that the news was entirely spread, and as Jasper walked next to me in the hall, we were greeted by Mike Newton.

"Hey Jasper, how's the new mommy?"

I was outraged, but Jasper simply grabbed my hand and smiled.

"Better than the last."

Mike sneered. "A little young, don't you think?"

He began to pull me down the hall as he quickly responded, "Well, better young than an addict, eh Newton?"

I could hear Mike yelling at us from down the hall, but I was far too busy laughing. Jasper left me at the door of my English class with a hug, and I was already ecstatic for lunch- it was the only time I KNEW I wouldn't have to deal with all of the drama that was currently engulfing me.

Fifty notes and two hours later, I was safe in the corner of the lunch room, seated with Rosalie and the boys. It felt odd to be next to Edward so casually after how he'd reacted last night, but I knew that if I wanted things to be normal, I would have to act like they were. People gawked and whispered, but we all just tried to ignore it.

Biology was a blessing at that point; I couldn't wait to just have a normal conversation with Edward. It was, however, far too good to last. I knew it'd only be a matter of time before Mike felt the need to get back at me for Jasper's comment. In the middle of class, Mike raised his hand.

"Mr. Burggs, I have a genetics question."

Burggs turned around in surprise. "Shoot, Mr. Newton."

"Well, since Bella has decided to do Edward AND The Good Doctor, is it possible for the baby to be genetically fathered by BOTH of them?"

The entire class was rolling, but Burggs was steaming red. "Mr. Newton, the office. NOW."

I was, for the second time that day, on the verge of tears, but Edward was strictly expressionless as he stood up from his seat.

"Professor Burggs, I do believe I will be leaving for the day. Thank you for the educational lesson." He said as he walked from the room.

Burggs simply nodded his head when I began to ask if I could follow Edward out. I raced down the hallway after him, calling out his name, but his stride was far too fast for me to catch up. I ran towards Jasper's classroom, and the moment I stepped into the doorway Mrs. Parline instructed Jasper to leave. Emmett met us halfway down the hall, and it seemed that the teachers had each called each other to insure we could handle the situation privately.

When the three of us pulled up to the house, we saw Edward's Volvo parked perfectly in the driveway. We each called his name throughout the house, but when I rested my hand on his locked door knob, I knew that there would be no simple resolution to the situation. I tilted my thumb nail into the keyhole and carefully twisted it, instantly unlocking the door.

I shut it behind me and found Edward sitting on his bed, staring at the ceiling. I knew that he'd noticed my entry, but he showed no signs of acknowledgement, and I was beginning to get very, very worried. I sat down carefully on the side of the bed and took a deep breath, jumping when he spoke.

"It's odd to think that the man you spoke to me about, the one I'd come to despise, was my own father."

"I know…"

"You two are happy together." He stated.

I answered, although I knew he wasn't asking me a question. "Yes."

"He's quite a bit older than you."

"Yes."

"Do you truly love him?" His voice shook.

"Yes."

He sat up and wrapped his arms around me, crying against my chest, and I was taken aback. I rubbed his back and tried to comfort him as best I could, but I knew that it wasn't going to help. The tears continued to fall as he spoke.

"I've had it in my head that they'd work through it, you know? That he'd never be able to replace her, because they had such a perfect kind of love."

I nodded, my heart taking a minor blow at the thought.

"And when I met you, I thought maybe I had found that." He paused to breathe.

"But I was wrong about everything. He's replacing her, with YOU, and it just isn't okay." He told me, sobbing even harder.

He didn't seem to notice the door opening, but when I looked up I saw a disheveled Carlisle in the doorway. He stood there for a moment, unsure of himself, before he came in and wrapped his arms around his son. Edward glanced up and wiped his eyes.

"Esme isn't coming back, is she?"

Carlisle shook his head and wrapped his arms around Edward once more as the tears poured out. I stepped out of the room and walked downstairs, knowing I needed to go home. Clearly, the administration had called Carlisle. That only left me to assume that they'd called Charlie as well, so I asked Jasper to drive me home. As expected, my father was standing on the porch when I arrived.

"Inside, Isabella Marie, right this instant."

Carefully, I waved goodbye to Jasper, stepped around Charlie, and started walking up the stairs. He grabbed ahold of my arm after slamming the door, and I winced in pain. He dragged me into the living room and spoke ominously,

"Sit."

And so I sat, realizing that the "nice Charlie" that the world got to see had disappeared. This wasn't unusual in our home.

"The school called me today." He said flatly. I nodded.

"They were… concerned about a certain public display of affection between you and Dr. Cullen, care to explain?"

When I didn't answer, he struck me hard on the cheek.

"Isabella Swan, I want an answer here and now."

"I don't see anything left to explain. My boyfriend kissed me goodbye."

"BOYFRIEND?" He screamed, and I knew that I had not handled that well. I flinched as he raised his voice, and he didn't seem to notice.

"This will be ending. As of now. You have five minutes to call him."

I knew what would happen next if I didn't, but I was to a point where that didn't matter.

"No." I said simply.

"No? Bella, you will not live in my home while you whore yourself out to the town doctor!"

I stood angrily. "Who are you to judge? You've done nothing but drink your life away since I was in middle school!"

With that, I fell to the floor, my eye throbbing painfully. I knew the answer I'd receive from defiance, but I kept it in my head that it was worth it and ignored the blood that trickled down the side of my face as he struck me again with his boot.

"Get on up to your room. You're grounded indefinitely."

Carefully, I picked myself up off the floor and walked up the stairs. Through the mirror in my room, I was able to come to the realization that I would have bruises. Blood from my cheek had made its way onto my shirt, so I carefully changed and noticed the bruises circling my wrist. I found a black, long sleeved shirt and pulled it over my camisole, thinking six steps ahead. I pulled my phone from my pocket and called Jasper.

"Bella, are you alright?" He asked as soon as he was on the line.

"Jasper, I need you to come get me at ten tonight. Don't tell your father, please."

"Okay, Bella, I'll be there. What's going on?"

"Nothing. See you then." I told him, shutting my phone.

Charlie came in a few moments later, glaring at me. He crossed his arms in front of himself and leaned against the trim, watching my every movement. Obediently, I opened my backpack and began to do my homework. He waved his hand towards my face and said,

"Make sure you cover that up."

I nodded.

"You're not interning for that bastard anymore, you understand?"

The need to defend Carlisle ran through me, but I knew I had to keep it contained; I nodded. I glanced in the mirror as he shut the door and saw that the bruises were worse than I thought. My left eye was swollen and surrounded by a thick, circular, black bruise, and my right cheekbone had a six inch cut running down it, probably in need of stitches, and it was surrounded by heavier bruising. My entire face was swollen, and I knew I needed to be able to cover it if I didn't want Jasper taking me straight to Carlisle.

I set to work, seeing that it was only six thirty, on doing my hair and makeup. It required multiple shades of foundation, heavy eyeliner, and enough curls that I could justify them covering half of my face before all the bruising was covered. I sighed as I stared down at my wrist, draping my mother's heavy charm bracelet around it. All in all, getting ready took about an hour.

Instantly and quietly, I began pulling clothing from drawers and off hangers, folding it all up as tightly as possible and packing it into the small suitcase I had used in San Antonio. Next came the bedding and decorations, neatly piled, and all of my pictures gathered together. These, I set on the bed as I put all of my academic supplies in my backpack. Glancing around my room, I gathered the miscellaneous memories and things, piling my shoes neatly on the bed, and set to work on separating it all into organized piles.

I pulled a larger suitcase and a travel bag from under the bed and filled the suitcase with everything else, while I simply put my curling iron and makeup in the travel bag. I left it unzipped as I snuck down the hall to the bathroom, filling it with toilet paper, bottles of shampoo and soaps, perfumes, and basically everything within reach. When the bathroom was empty and my bag was stuffed to the brim, I flushed the toilet, ran the water for a moment, and then snuck back down the hall.

I felt prepared and calm, but I knew the repercussions of this, and I was terrified for what could happen with Charlie. Now, I just needed to keep myself occupied for twenty minutes so I could meet Jasper in the front yard. Carefully, I lowered my bags out my window and allowed them to drop into the hedges, shaking them silently as they fell. I could hear Charlie snoring from down the hall, and I knew that I'd be able to leave without any trouble.

Sneaking down the stairs, I took my keys and filled a small bag with noodles, cereals, and canned food before I stepped outside. I shut and locked the door quietly behind me before I snuck around to the side of the house and gathered my bags. Five minutes later, I was loading my bags into Jasper's car.

"Drop me off at the motel on Clark, please." I said quietly.

He began to drive and then asked, "Jelly, why are you leaving?"

"It's just time I grow up and move out, I guess. Please don't mention it to Carlisle; I don't want him to worry when he really doesn't need to."

I knew that Jasper could tell I was hiding something, but I think he understood the need to keep it to myself, and he carried my bags up the stairs of the motel, while I chit chatted with the woman at the desk, giving her a week's pay in advance.

"Here you are, Jelly." Jasper said, bringing up the last of my bags. "Anywhere else you'd like to go?"

I knew I needed new needles and thread if I didn't want a six inch scar on my face, but I figured that I could walk to the store; I didn't want him to notice the cuts or bruises. I shook my head no and sent him back home with a hug and a kiss. As soon as I saw his car pull away I took out my phone and sent a message to Carlisle.

"Calling in sick for tomorrow; I'll see you Monday. All my love, Bell."

I laughed at how long his response took, knowing that he wasn't especially fond of technology.

"I love you too. Are you okay?"

"Yes, Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

I then found a handful of dollar bills in my pocket and walked out in the brisk cold, preparing myself for a snowy walk to the convenience store. Once there, I bought a package of needles, peroxide, thread, Lysol, Band- Aids, and a package of Styrofoam bowls and plastic silverware. The woman at the register kind of laughed as she scanned through my purchases, but she stopped instantly when she saw the cut on my cheek. Apparently, the curls had moved away from the wound. Silently, she finished checking out my items, and I handed her the required amount of money for my purchases. I left and quickly made my way back to the motel.

As soon as I stepped through the door, I rushed into the bathroom and took out the can of Lysol. I sprayed every surface I could find, wiped them down with a clean rag from the rack, and repeated the process. I then filled the bottom of a bowl with peroxide, wet a wad of toilet paper, and began to clean out the wound. It stung, but I knew that I would have to suffer through it unless I wanted scarring. I rinsed the needle with the peroxide, threaded it, and set to work on stitching up the cut. After I was through, I broke the thread, wiped my face down with peroxide, removing all the makeup and crap that had soaked into my pores, and stuck a large Band-Aid over my stitches in order to prevent anyone from seeing them.

I sat down on my bed and began to think. If I was going to keep living here at the end of the week, I would need to return to work and school. I grabbed the ice bucket and walked down the hall to fill it, returning soaked from the rain that had just started. I wrapped a piece of ice in a towel, laid it on my face, and tried to lay down. Instantly, I felt a sharp pain go through my body. Confused, I pulled my shirt up to inspect the issue.

From my bra to my hip were a string of large bruises. _Charlie must've kicked me more than I realized. _I knew that the adrenaline would've kept me from noticing, but I hadn't realized he'd been so angry. _I haven't seen him that mad since I brought up Mom last year._ I knew that I probably had a cracked rib, but there was nothing that the hospital could do about it anyway, so I decided to tough it out and fell into a very uncomfortable sleep.

The next morning, I called myself in sick to school and stayed in bed, falling in and out of sleep. At three o'clock I received four messages. I was terrified that they may be from Charlie, but realized I'd blocked him number.

Jasper: "Jelly, where are you? You're freaking me out."

Edward: "Biology sucked today. You coming to school Monday?

Emmett: "Come make dinner, Jelly!"

and

Carlisle: "The boys sent me messages complaining that you weren't in class today. Are you alright, Bell? Let me know if I can help. Love, Carlisle"

I responded to each of them with the same message, short, sweet, and to the point.

"Boys, I'm fine, and I'll be at school/work on Monday. I love you all very much -Bella."

They all responded worriedly, but I couldn't find it in me to reply.

For the weekend, I found myself fading in and out of sleep, rarely moving from the bed. Monday morning, I woke up late and climbed into the shower, the bruises on my ribs fading a bit. I had just gotten dressed and dried my hair when I heard a pounding on the door. I figured Jasper might have come to pick me up for school, but when I opened the door I saw Charlie standing there with his arms crossed.

He pushed his way inside and locked the door. "I thought you'd be smart enough to come home by now, Isabella."

My words caught in my throat as I backed against the wall.

"If you want to move out, that's just fine. We'll see if you can make it on your own."

"I can." I told him angrily. "I'll do better off alone than I did with you."

I don't know why it is that I can never seem to keep my mouth shut, but I felt that punch before it hit me, worsening the bruise that already circled my left eye. He grabbed me by the throat and squeezed, slamming me into the wall. My head hit the body mirror behind me, shattering it instantly, and I felt a shard of glass dig into my palm as I fell to the ground.

"Learn a little respect before you come crawling back, Isabella."

And with that, my head hit the floor and the world went black. I came to a while later to a hand on my shoulder, shaking me awake. My eye was swollen and I could only open it a slit before having to shut it; I never got the oppurunity to see who it was. I began drifting off again as I heard the background voices shouting.

"Edward, call dad, damnit! Tell him to bring the med kit- the FULL med kit!"

"Oh no you don't! Stay awake, Jelly!"

"Dad, it's Edward, I need you to come to the Motel in Forks, quick. It's Bella! She's hurt! Bring the full med kit!"

"Tell him to hurry!" – "Hurry, Dad!"

"Bella, don't fall asleep!" – "Dad says not to let her lose consciousness,"

"STAY AWAKE BELLA! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!"

"He says that if she hit her head she could have brain damage!"

"CLEARLY SHE HIT HER FUCKING HEAD!"

"DAD! SHE HIT HER HEAD! ... KEEP HER AWAKE!

"Jelly, if you can hear me, please stay awake!"

It took a moment to decipher the voices, but after a little bit of thought, I could figure it out.

"Eward." I said.

"Did she just say "Eward"? Dad!" – "She's losing a lot of blood, Edward!"

"Jasser. Ett." I mumbled. – "Dad, she can't talk properly. He's on his way."

"Hear that, Momma? Dad's on his way." – "Emmett, shut up! That won't help!"

"Calm down, Jasper!" – "How the HELL am I supposed to calm down?"

"Eward." It sounded normal to me.

I felt a hand wrap around mine, and then another on my left, while something pressed against my head. I started to fall asleep when I heard I voice interrupt the peacefulness,

"Don't fall asleep, Momma, he's on his way."

I smiled while the other two voices –what were their names? - chuckled a bit.

"Okay Ett." I muttered, fading into the black.


	10. You're Okay, Mama

**A/N: Anterograde Amnesia does not occur or recover as it does in my story, but there are similarities. Here's a website if you get curious ** 2011/02/20/understanding-anterograde-amnesia/

I woke up in a bright, white room full of faces I didn't recognize. A tall, blonde doctor stood in front of me, smiling when he noticed that I'd opened my eyes. There was something about his smile that made him look familiar, but I truly couldn't place it. I got frustrated and quit trying. Then, I glanced around the room, taking in my surroundings. Against the wall were three teenaged boys. One had soft, honey eyes and auburn hair, the other one's eyes were crystal blue and his hair curled and waved, and the third's eyes were red from crying, but I could see that they were brown. I knew that face, Emmett.

"Emmett." I said quietly, and it hurt me to speak.

He stepped forward and held my hand. "I'm glad you're up, Momma. We were worried."

The doctor sent him an angry glance, and it upset me to see him looking at my son that way.

"That isn't going to help her, knock it off."

I felt defensive at this stranger attacking my boy, and I tried to sit up to yell, but it hurt so badly that I couldn't manage.

"Sir, I won't have you speaking to him that way. Lecture your own children."

The doctor looked surprised and started his sentence, but I think he got a bit confused. "My own ch- oh god. Emmett, what was the last thing you said to her?"

He shrugged and the blonde boy answered for him- he seemed very sweet, I believe. "Don't fall asleep, Momma, he's on his way."

The doctor shook his head and looked at me with an expression that made me very uncomfortable.

"Bella, what's the last thing that you remember?"

_Bella, that's right! I knew that! _

"The airport."

His eyebrows raised, "The airport?"

I nodded, certainly. "Yes, I was driving home from the airport. I was dropping someone off."

"Do you remember who you were dropping off?"

"A man…" I paused and stared at the doctor for a moment, "He looks a lot like you, I think. But his eyes are a brighter blue, like river water, and he's shorter, and he smiles more. His voice… that's different too. And he looks at me differently- like I'm special to him. Oh doctor, would you find him for me? I don't want him to worry."

The doctor sighed, and shook his head, and I worried that perhaps I didn't have a very good doctor. He seemed to get confused quite a bit. I tried to think back to how I got hurt, but I just couldn't remember.

"Doctor, was I in a wreck?" Worriedly, I glanced over at Emmett. "Were you hurt?"

The doctor cleared his throat, and I decided that there was definitely something off about that man. He kept looking at me like he was about to cry.

"Ma'am, you weren't-" – "Why are you calling her ma'am, Dad?" The blonde boy asked.

I had a question, but I didn't have very much time to get it in, because the Doctor responded to the boy.

"Well, she clearly doesn't remember who I am, so what the hell am I _supposed _to call her?"

I nudged Emmett to help me up in bed, and I pulled on the Doctor's shirt- why wasn't he wearing a lab coat?

"Yes?" He asked.

I pulled him closer to me, and he was staring into my eyes. I inspected every inch of his face, but I couldn't place it. I laid back in bed and looked down, realizing my clothes were covered in blood.

"Doctor, may I have my shirt?"

He looked to the auburn haired boy, asking silently if he would go get it, and when he nodded, the Doctor turned back to me.

"What shirt would you like, ma'am?"

I knew instantly. "My white one. It has buttons up the front and one of the buttons is missing from the top. It belongs to that man that I told you about, from the airport, I wear it when he goes to work. Please, Doctor, that shirt means the world to me. But when you find him, will you please not tell him? He kept looking for it before I dropped him off, and I kind of fibbed to him. I really love that shirt."

The doctor gave me that look again and then looked to the auburn haired boy.

"Go get it."

The boy nodded his head and sent me a sad look before leaving the room.

The doctor looked back at me and had a tear rolling down his cheek. I wanted to wipe it away and give him a kiss, and I felt horrible for having such a feeling about a random person.

"Ma'am, you have anterograde amnesia. Your memories are dated, and you'll only retain what you knew from a few months ago. Your recent memories will be wiped out, but they may return with triggers and/or time. Until then, you are to remain here." He said before walking out of the room.

I looked at Emmett and noticed that the blonde boy had moved to sit next to him.

"Emmett, why do I hurt so much?"

He shook his head and looked at me. "Somebody hurt you very, very badly, Momma."

"Emmett, quit calling her that!"

Emmett looked at the blonde haired boy very angrily and told him, "Isn't that what she is?"

The boy sighed, and I asked him, "Who are you?"

He smiled back at me, "Jasper Cullen."

"How do you know my Emmett?" I asked curiously.

"He's my brother."

I thought for a moment and then smiled and reached out to hug him as the auburn haired boy returned with my shirt.

"I have TWO sons?"

Emmett laughed a bit, and Jasper glared at him. I reached out for Emmett's hand and smiled when a thought occurred to me.

"The doctor is your father, Jasper?"

He nodded, and I continued my train of thought, "Then… The doctor… Oh, when did we divorce?"

The auburn boy's head shot up quickly, and it hurt my eyes to follow as he sat down next to me and handed me my shirt.

"What makes you think you divorced?" He asked me.

"He didn't look happy to see me at all, and he didn't have a ring on. I don't believe that he likes me very much."

The boy looked back up into my eyes, "He does, more than you can remember." It confused me, but I don't think that he planned on explaining.

It felt as if everyone was keeping me out of the loop, and I was sick of it. It frustrated and irritated me, but trying to remember used up so much energy, and it didn't actually help at all. I decided I would rest my eyes and try to think later. Quickly, I fell asleep, cuddling the shirt.

The next morning, the first thing I wanted to do was put on my shirt. I pushed myself to stand up from the hospital bed and felt the carpet beneath my feet. I find it strange for there to be carpet in a hospital, but I wasn't going to be rude, and I didn't want to have to ask my ex-husband to move me.

It hurt to stand, but I managed to get up and pull my shirt over my head, when I heard one of my sons scream. Funny, I figured they'd all have gone home and gone to bed. The boys were staring at me wide eyed, while the doctor –_your ex-husband-_ I reminded myself, slept with his head in the side of my hospital bed. I thought it was sweet that he was there, but I didn't understand it at all.

"Dad! Look at her stomach!"

My ex-husband lifted his head quickly and turned to stare at my stomach. Wondering what they were staring at, I looked down and saw that my side was covered in bruises. He got up and knelt down in from of me and softly touched my ribs, kissing them slightly, and I remembered him doing so once before.

"Why did we divorce?" I asked him softly. His head shot up and he stared at me with wide eyes before shooting an angry look at our boys.

"You aren't going to help her memory by confusing her!" He yelled. They looked surprised and scared, and I thought that maybe his temper was the reason. Carefully, he set me back down in the bed and looked back at them, He buttoned the shirt around me and I clung to it.,

"Out." He said to them,

None of them budged, and they all shook their heads. I was proud that they had stood up for themselves.

"What's your name?" I asked him as I lay back on the bed, content now with my shirt around me.

"Carlisle Cullen." He answered, and I was flooded with memories.

_He pulled me out of the river, and I realized I loved him._

_He sat with me when I was crying._

I put my hand on his cheek and gave him a sad smile. "We really loved each other once, didn't we?"

He nodded.

"Thank you for helping me today, Carlisle." He didn't respond, and I kept talking, feeling like I couldn't stop, "Do we still love each other?"

Again, he nodded.

"Then why aren't we still married?"

"Bell…" He began, when another memory hit me.

"_**Be safe, Bella, for me."**_

"You left." I told him, certain.

He nodded again.

I looked at the boys and smiled, trying not to show how badly the memory had hurt me, but the man –Carlisle- seemed to see right through it. "Can we have breakfast, please?"

They returned a few moments later with food, and I asked about how their days went yesterday. Apparently, Carlisle had to go get Edward, his name was Edward, from school because he had hit a boy from his Biology class. I slowly caught on a bit, and Emmett chortled when I surprisedly exclaimed,

"THREE!" Although, he was the only one who seemed to understand.

"Bell, I need to call your father." Carlisle said; I nodded, understanding.

"Carlisle," I said as he began to walk out the door. He turned around and walked back to my bed. "Would that man I told you about be very angry if I kissed you?"

He shook his head no, and I leaned up to press my lips against his.

"_We'll make it through this."_

"How old are you, Carlisle?"

"Thirty-four."

I did the math in my head and gasped, "I'm eighteen!"

The sad expression returned to his face and he nodded. I pulled on his arm to pull myself upright in bed and then leaned forward to hug each of the boys. I noticed that he quickly stepped away from me afterwards, looking hurt.

"You are far too old to be my sons. Why do you call me mom?"

Edward laughed. "Only Emmett calls you mom."

"Why?"

Emmett smiled at me, "You take care of us. You make us dinner and stitch me up when I get hurt, and you love us, and Dad."

"I know that. I… I think I remember that. You cut your hand on a vase. And Edward yelled, no, that was a different day… Edward was yelling because I'm not Esme." The boys looked at Edward, and he stared at the floor.

"And… Carlisle, that's why you left?"

Avidly, he shook his head.

"Was it because I'm young?"

Again, he shook his head,

"Bell, with luck, you'll remember in time. It seems physical contact jostles that section of your memory, but we can only hope you'll regain partial memory."

"When did you kiss my ribs?"

"The first time we made love."

The boys shifted and looked mildly uncomfortable.

"And… that was at my house. But, I can't remember when."

He glanced at me, and I think he was waiting for me to remember. "I think… no. No, his eyes were bluer."

Carlisle shook his head and left the room to call my father.

He came back a few moments later, and he asked the boys to leave the room. They did so and shut the door.

"Remember for me, Bell." He pleaded, caressing my face.

And I did. I remembered meeting him –was it him?- at Sill's.

Then, he pressed his lips to mine, and I felt a tear roll down his face onto my cheek.

"_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."_

"_I want to be with you, Bell"._

"_I love you."_

"Carlisle," I said unsteadily, "we weren't supposed to fall in love, were we?"

He shook his head, and his eyes pleaded with me.

"Remember." He whispered, kissing me again. This time, I allowed my hands to cup his face as our lips moved.

"_I love you."_

_I fell into the river and couldn't fight the current anymore. He swam in; he saved my life. I loved him. "Are you okay?"_

"_We'll make it through this."  
"Be safe, Bell, for me."_

I felt his tongue caress mine, and his hands laid atop mine on his jaw._  
_

"_Does he understand?" – "Not yet, but he will."  
"How did you find me?"_

_Does he hate me? – No, he's just upset.  
"I'm sure Mrs. Vandenburg will adore them._

His arms wrapped around me, pressing me closer to him.

"_Am I a bad father?" – "Never"  
"Thank you for attempting to get my boys to watch a culturally nourishing movie._

"_We'll make it through this."  
"I love you."_

I realized we've stopped kissing some time ago and I was now sitting propped up on the bed, gazing into his eyes. He smiled at me and that was when I saw it- they were that perfect shade.

"I'm sorry I stole your shirt, Carlisle."

Tears rolled down his cheeks, and he smiled down at me, "Keep it, Bell."

I pressed a hand to his face, "Carlisle, why are you crying? I love you. I remember."

He smiled once again, "I didn't know if you would. You kept talking about me like a figment of your imagination."

I kissed him once again before he wiped his eyes. "Bell, what happened to you?"

I opened my mouth, expecting to be able to answer, but ended up shaking my head, which hurt more than I expected.

"I think… You may actually be having Blackout Syndrome." He waited, seeing if I needed an explanation, and when I didn't he continued, "Was I somehow related to this, Bella?"

I took a moment to think when it came to me.

"_You're not interning for that bastard anymore."_

I nodded, but I couldn't quite place that voice. Carlisle kissed my forehead and left to go get Charlie.

An hour later, he walked back in the room with my father at his side, and something in me felt uncomfortable. He'd also brought two officers with him; Carlisle said it was to take pictures because they knew who had hurt me- the boy Edward had hit at school. Carlisle explained the Blackout Syndrome and how my mind was mentally blocking out the trauma until it was triggered, and the officers seemed to understand, but I just wanted to remember; I KNEW it wasn't Mike, but I couldn't tell who it actually WAS.

My dad walked up to me and smiled, putting a hand on my cheek and kissing my forehead. "You'll be okay, Isabella."

"_Bella, you will not live in my home while you whore yourself out to the town doctor!"_

I gasped, pulling away from Charlie.

"CARLISLE!" I screamed. He ran to me and held my hand, and one of the officers asked him what was going on. He explained that my memories would come back with triggers, and he thought Charlie was one of them.

"_Jasper, I need you to come get me at ten tonight. Don't tell your father, please."  
"Make sure you cover that up."  
"Is Edward a good kid?"_

"_Jelly, why are you leaving?"  
"Learn a little respect before you come crawling back, Isabella."_

"_Dad, it's Edward, I need you to come to the Motel in Forks, quick. It's Bella! She's hurt! Bring the full med kit!"  
"Tell him to hurry!" – "Hurry, Dad!"  
"Bella, don't fall asleep!" – "Dad says not to let her lose consciousness,"  
"STAY AWAKE BELLA! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!"  
"He says that if she hit her head she could have brain damage!"  
"CLEARLY SHE HIT HER FUCKING HEAD!"  
"DAD! SHE HIT HER HEAD! ... KEEP HER AWAKE!  
"Jelly, if you can hear me, please stay awake!"_

"Bells, are you alright?" Charlie asked, glaring at me and completely lacking concern. He attempted to rest a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed at him.

The two officers sat down at the edge of the bed. "Miss Swan, can you recall who attacked you?"

Charlie broke in, but we ended up speaking at the same time.

"I told you, it was Newton." – "Charlie."

"She's delusional. She's recovering from amnesia."

"HUSH!" Carlisle screamed.

"Bell," He said, holding my hand, "will you please tell us all what you remember?"

I nodded, my brain giving me random memories of my time with Carlisle. I kissed him before I began, "Carlisle, do you remember the day you kissed me at school?"

He nodded. "They called you and Charlie, and then you, and I had to go help Edward."

The officers sent Edward an odd glance. "It was last Thursday. Mike made a comment about her in class, and it pissed me off." He said flatly, not wanting to divulge his emotional wreckage at the time.

"This is enough!" Charlie said plainly. "Her memories are useless and distorted."

Irritatedly, I glanced up at them, thought for a brief moment, and then said, "I had coffee for breakfast with two sugars in it, I ate sausage pizza for lunch with Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward, and I was wearing a pair of purple underwear which I am currently wearing. My memories are fine."

Charlie was clearly irritated, "We have no way to confirm any of that."

Jasper raised his hand, and when he'd gathered the attention said, "I made her the coffee- two sugars."

The officers then looked to Edward and Emmett and they nodded, "Sausage pizza."

"Coincidental." Charlie muttered.

Carlisle then looked to me, "May I, Bell?"

I nodded and he glanced under the sheet, looking back up to the officers. "Same underwear."

"WASHED." I interjected, causing the boys to chuckle.

The officers looked awkward as they said, "I don't believe we need to ask how you came to see her undergarments on that day…"

Carlisle laughed and then looked at Charlie, "Her memories were blocked due to fear, but they are perfectly intact. Sit."

Finally, I had the opportunity to continue, "When Jasper drove me home that night, he dropped me off and Charlie was waiting on the front porch." They looked to Jasper, and he nodded.

"I went inside and tried to walk up the stairs, but he wouldn't let me." I told them, showing the bruises on my wrist and allowing the officer to take a picture.

"Then, we got into an argument, and he slapped me. We kept arguing, and he ended up punching me in the eye." I said, allowing another picture.

"I fell onto the floor, and he kicked me in the cheek and ribcage." At this point, one officer was photographing everything, Charlie was glaring at me, and the other officer was writing everything down.

"I ran away that night and had Jasper drop me off at a motel." Jasper nodded again.

"And then today Charlie showed up at the motel and yelled at me, so I yelled back. He punched me again, and then he grabbed my throat and threw me. I can't remember past there, other than him telling me to learn a little respect, and the boys yelling, although I couldn't open my eyes. I recognized their voices though."

Emmett glared at Charlie as he told the officers, "He smashed her head against a mirror. There's a broken mirror at the Calvary Motel, bruises around her throat, ten stitches in her hand, and forty two in her head to prove it."

Carlisle rose from his place at my side as the officers moved to arrest Charlie, and I watched as he hit him directly in the nose. It began gushing blood, and he pronounced it broken to the officers while Charlie screamed, "I'll press charges!"

The officers looked around the room before looking back to him and saying, "Sir, as far as we are aware, you attempted to assault Dr. Cullen, and he defended himself."

They read him his Miranda rights and escorted him out the door.

"Carlisle, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I think make Jasper promise not to, but he didn't know Charlie did _this_."

Carlisle simply hugged me and lay next to me in the bed. The boys each kissed my cheek and left the room, and Carlisle and I snuggled as closely as two people could be when one of them had four cracked ribs.


	11. Standing On My Own Two Feet

A week into my recovery, I was going crazy. Carlisle went to work each day after that first weekend, although he had fought like hell when I insisted- apparently, I'd been placed in their med. room, in a section of the house that I had never actually noticed before- and even with him gone, the boys weren't letting me out of bed. It seemed that the motel owner had told the entire town what happened, and the boys were allowed to alternate between who missed a day to stay home and take care of me while I was on medical leave. Carlisle told me to expect at least another two weeks, possibly more, due to the damage done to my head, and I knew I'd need a mental hospital by the end of that leave.

I had homework to do, but I quickly finished it, and I was caught up on every T.V. series on the few networks that I actually enjoyed. After nine days of complete bed rest, a Thursday, I decided that I would do whatever the hell I wanted, and I carefully directed myself towards the kitchen.

For whatever reason, all three boys had stayed home today, and I knew they'd give me trouble for trying to get out of bed, but I just couldn't take it anymore.

Confirming my suspicions, I was immediately jumped when I set foot in the kitchen, where –to my luck- all three of them were sitting on the barstools talking.

"Momma, what the hell are you doing out of bed?" Emmett harassed me, and I couldn't help but smile at the title.

"I am making you guys a batch of cookies." I said firmly.

Edward stood up and pressed a hand against the small of my back, trying to direct me back up the stairs, "Oh no you don't, Bella, Dad said you can't get out of bed for another week."

Standing me ground, I grabbed onto the counter and refused to move, "Fuck what your dad said; I am making a batch of god damned chocolate chip cookies, and you can't do shit about it!"

Jasper smirked, "We could just carry you back up there."

I smirked back before placing an innocent, scared look on my face, "That would hurt my ribs very, very badly. Please, don't hurt me, boys."

In unison, they sighed and got all of the things I requested out of the cabinet, insuring that I didn't have to stretch or hurt myself somehow. It felt so good to be out of bed, that I put the cookies- three sheets of them- in the oven and started washing the dishes myself. They all looked at me with frustrated expressions, but we all knew that I was going to do what I wanted, regardless of what Carlisle had requested.

After the dished were done and the cookies were put on a platter, followed by Edward, Jasper, and Emmett eating and complimenting half of them, I decided I would continue my escape and venture into the living room. It was a complete disaster.

There were pizza boxes on the floor and games thrown about, along with a strange item that I did not want to ask questions about. My jaw nearly hit the floor when I realized that they'd done it all in just one day, and I began cleaning. After realizing what I was doing, Jasper started to help while Emmett and Edward went to go clean up something else, in hopes it would make me go back to bed.

The living room didn't take long enough to satisfy my need for movement, so I hazarded into the laundry room. There, the three of them cut me off.

"No more today, Jelly," Jasper told me.

"Yeah, you've been working hard enough in the last three hours, B." Edward added.

Emmett concluded this with, "Please just rest, Momma."

I smiled at them and reasoned, "I'll be okay. None of this laundry it folded- there are five damn baskets!- just let me sit on the floor and fold, okay? We'll put in a movie and relax, I just need to be occupied. Okay?"

They, again, synchronizedly sighed, and carried all of the baskets into the living room, fetching hangers along the way.

Half way through the movie and two laundry baskets, we heard the garage door open, and Edward sighed, "Dad is going to fucking kill us."

Carlisle walked in and greeted the boys each with a hug before turning to head up the stairs. With his foot on the first step, he stopped and turned.

"Bell," He sighed. "how the hell did you convince them to let you out of bed?"

I winked and chuckled, and quickly found myself being carried up the next two flights of stairs.

"OWW!" I screamed, trying to prevent it, but Carlisle wasn't allowing it.

"I am not hurting you a bit, Bella." He smiled before setting me down in my hospital bed. He lay down next to me, and I frowned at him.

"I can't stay in bed forever, and you can't sleep in here every night."

He looked over at me and nodded, lifting me off the bed. He carried me through a door and down a hallway- into the section of the floor that was deemed "his space", and set me down on the bed in his room.

"I CAN sleep HERE every night, and you only have to stay in bed for two more weeks."

"We'll see." I mumbled before cuddling against him, careful not o let my head bump against his chest.

I woke in the morning to Jasper bringing me orange juice, and me discovering that it was already noon.

"You're staying in bed today, Ma."

I shot him a questioning glace, to which he replied, "Well, Emmett was right- that IS what you are."

I smiled and drank my glass of juice, taking my pills, before sitting up in bed. I winked, "Shut up and help me down the stairs, or I'll ground you."

He huffed with an eyeroll, and we spent the day baking and cleaning. Emmett and Edward got home just as I pulled the second pie out of the oven, and we did our homework before digging in and watching a movie. Twenty minutes before Carlisle was due to arrive, the three of them helped me up the stairs and back into bed. Quickly, I ushered them out and heard the front door shut.

Twenty minutes later, Carlisle was walking into the room with a piece of pie.

"This is divine," He told me. "I wasn't aware _Jasper _could bake so well. Yesterday, he made cookies, and today I come home to pie."

"He must've learned from Esme." I smiled.

To that, Carlisle threw his head back and laughed. "That would require Esme to enter the kitchen and actually _cook. _Which she has never done in her life," I sent him and odd glance, but he ended the conversation with, "Thank you for making pie, Bell."

I smiled and kissed him, wiping a crumb from his cheek, and I finally felt well again, truly, happily, well.


	12. I'm Not a Child

A/N: Hey guys, do me a favor and shoot me a review telling me what cha think- this was a rough chapter..

:3 Momo :)

* * *

Conveniently, I was pronounced healthy enough to return to school just as the Thanksgiving break hit, and Charlie's trial was finally on the schedule. I was irritated about the first and terrified of the second, but I knew that I would have my family there to help me, and the stress of it all was actually managable.

On my first day out of bed by Carlisle's permission, I dressed myself in the mirror and smiled as I noticed the bruising on my face lessening. I quickly pulled myself down the stairs, still wincing every few steps from the pull at my ribs, and walked into the kitchen.

I pun a pan of eggs on the stovetop as I told Jasper, "Time to go apartment hunting, I suppose."

He threw his head back and laughed, "Ma, you aren't going anywhere."

I disagreed, and we were in the middle of a debate on the topic when Carlisle entered the room. "What's the commotion about?" He asked.

"Mom thinks she's moving out now that her medical leave is over." Jasper said in an irritated tone.

"You want to leave, Isabella?" He asked, trying to mask the hurt in his voice.

I sighed, "I can't live here forever."

"Why not?" Jasper asked.

"Because your father pays for _everything!"_

Carlisle sent Jasper a glance, and he left the room. Then, Carlisle sat down on the barstool with a large sigh.

"You do so much, Bell, and you act like it isn't okay for me to return that."

"I just know that you need your space, and I can't just continue to invade it."

He shook his head rapidly, "You make my space peaceful and welcoming. You've turned our house into a home, and we all want you to stay. It's been discussed already, but if you want to leave… we will support you and welcome you here at all hours, although we'd all much rather you stay."

My heart warmed and I wrapped my arms around him, kissing his lips softly. "I want to stay, if you're all sure."

He nodded and wrapped his arms around me, letting out a content sigh. After breakfast, he left for work with a kiss on my cheek, and I laughed. I honestly felt like the typical housewife, but I knew that nobody looked at it that way. I was simply recovering and would soon be back at school and work- everything would be back to normal. With that thought in mind, I cleaned up the dishes and went about my day.

It was four days before Thanksgiving, and the boys were laughing as they watched me run around the house. I was cleaning everything in sight and incredibly nervous. Carlisle's parents were due in three days, and I was terrified that I wouldn't measure up to Esme. The dining room was first on my list, and I dusted, polished, and swept everything I could get ahold of. I repeated the process through the rest of the house and then finally to the guest room. I was exhausted and had been up cleaning for six hours, but I needed everything to be perfect. I even had the boys clean their rooms, although they'd sworn that their grandparents never entered them.

At the end of the day, I fell onto the couch with a large sigh. Every surface of the house was clean. Dinner was made, and all of my remaining schoolwork was done. I turned on the tv, groaning as I reached for the remote, and then mumbled,

"We need a cat."

The boys chuckled, and Jasper gave me a small smile before handing me a packet of photos.

"They're of you and Dad, and some of you and us. Do us all a favor, and get rid of Esme."

Worriedly, I glanced up at Edward. He simply nodded with a content smile, but still, I handed the photos back to Jasper.

"It's not my place to erase his ex-wife. Give those to _him_"

Sure enough, Carlisle came in the door a few hours later, and Jasper shoved the pictures in his face. He flipped through them, hugged the boys, and then sat down with me on the couch.

"The house looks spectacular, Bell, but why didn't you hang up the pictures?"

"No frames." I said simply.

He left the room, returning twenty minutes later empty-handed.

"Where did you put them?" I asked.

"Anywhere that I usually had to look at Esme."

I nodded and got up to bake something, and he followed.

"What's wrong, Bell?"

I shook my head and reached into the upper cabinet, straining to pull down the flour. Carlisle noticed and quickly handed it to me. I opened the bag and filled a cup of it before feeling his arms wrap around my waist.

"It was time for those pictures to come down."

I nodded and began mixing.

That night, as we lay in bed, he stared at me worriedly. The truth of it was, I could lie through my teeth about my emotional state, but he'd still know. I tried to avoid it instead and lay my head on his chest, but he pulled away and looked at me.

"Bella, what are you worried about?"

"Your parents." I muttered, shoving my face into a pillow.

He chuckled, "Bell, I'm thirty-four years old! My parents don't have a say in who I spend my life with."

I slightly smiled, but tried not to read too much into what he had said and quickly fell asleep wrapped up in his arms.

I didn't enjoy waking up without him there, and I wasn't quite sure why that was until I heard Carlisle's voice from his office. He was in his professional tone, and I wondered if he was in a meeting, but decided to peek my head through the door anyway, only to see him staring at a wall with his cell phone pressed to his ear.

"You have never, even once, asked for the boys for _any_ occasion, Esme, especially a holiday. So, no, I won't just nod my head and allow you to come gather them out of the blue. It's been a year since you've even spent an _hour _with them!"

He paused, and I heard a high pitched voice reply on the other end.

"Alright, if you'd like me to ask them then I will. Just a moment…" A deep breath, "Alright, I will take the phone with me."

He turned, giving me a small smile before walking out the door. Unsure of what to do, I followed him down the stairs to the boys' level.

"Boys!" He called out, each of them coming to stand in front of him.

"Okay, Esme, they are all right here. I'll go in order for you."

"Jasper," He began, "would you like to spend Thanksgiving with your mother?"

I watched as Jasper let out a cynical laugh and then spoke into the phone, "No thanks, Esme."

Again, the high pitched voice squealed, and Carlisle spoke again, "No, I do not know why he calls you- Jesus, he's nearly eighteen; he can call you whatever the hell he wants! Now then…"

"Edward, would you like to spend the holiday with your mother?"

Edward paused before responding, looking at me. I nodded my head, letting him know that I didn't mind at all, before he spoke into the phone, "Sorry, Mom, but I can't. Grandma and Grandpa will be here tomorrow, and I haven't seen them in a while. Maybe next time."

I shot Edward a glance, but he shrugged it off and walked into his room.

"No, Esme, I did not tell him to say that. You've heard every word said since you asked that question. No, I will not _force_ my adult sons to do anything. Now, if you'll wait-" She interrupted, and I could see him getting irritated, "Now, Esme, if you will wait just one. damn. minute. I will ask Emmett."

"Emmett, do you want to spend Thanksgiving with your Mom?"

Emmett, not bothering to lean forward and speak into the phone, simply raised his voice and said clearly, "I already am."

There was more chatter from the other line, and Carlisle handed the phone to Emmett.

"No, I didn't mean you." Pause.

"That's none of your damn business." Pause.

"YOU NEVER EVEN LIKED US!"

With an angry sigh, Emmett snapped the phone shut and tossed it at the ground before walking into his room and slamming the door. Carlisle looked at me and immediately responded to my confused look.

"Never – not even _once_ since I left her – has Esme ever asked to spend a holiday with the boys. I don't know what it's about, but I decided to leave it up to them."

I nodded and reached up to kiss his temple before saying, "It's alright. Now, go get ready for work. You're already running late."

He looked at his watch, swore, and then kissed me before running up the stairs. Ten minutes later, he dashed back down and called out his "I love you"s before getting into the car and heading off for the day.

I took a long shower and dressed before stepping down the stairs. One by one, I checked on the boys. Emmett was blasting his music, Jasper was reading a book, and when I entered Edward's room I knew exactly what was happening.

I sat on the bed and put a hand on his arm, causing him to jump.

"You could've gone, Edward. You spent the entire summer with your grandparents."

He shook his head, "She doesn't actually want us there, Bella, and we're a tool for _something._ We always are."

I rubbed his arm and tried to sooth him, but I knew he needed to go through it on his own. I simply nodded my head and rose to exit the room. As I was shutting the door, he stopped me by asking, "Why do you do all of it, Bella?"

"Do all of what?"

"The cleaning, the baking, the listening- Dad already loves you, so why do you bother?"

I smiled, "Because _I _love _him, _and all of you, Edward."

He sighed and I shut the door, figuring he was making more unnecessary questions up in his head that I would need to answer later. I went down to the main floor in hopes of cleaning, but I soon realized that I'd done it all yesterday. I laughed as I found a note taped to the fridge in Carlisle's scrawly handwriting. _Well, that's what you get for dating a doctor. _I reminded myself as I read the piece of paper.

"_I think it's safe for me to assume that we need milk, flour, and eggs, but I haven't the slightest idea what else Thanksgiving entails. Please make a list and send Edward out to get it all- I've already given him grocery money, and I don't want you straining yourself with too much activity."_

"Boys!" I called up the stairs. For the first time, I actually felt like their mother as they lined up for me as they did for Carlisle.

"Shall we make a family shopping trip?"

They simply nodded and ran up the stairs to get their shoes. Edward, who was already prepared, helped me into the car and said, "We should probably go to Macy's while we're out."

I sent him an odd glance and he quickly responded, "Our grandparents believe that everyday life is a semi-formal occasion."

He then glanced at me and continued, "Come to think of it, we probably ought to get you a dress or something."

As the other boys buckled themselves in, I laughed and replied, "I do not wear dresses, for _any_ occasion."

"You do for our grandparents, Ma."

With a sigh, I leaned against the door and thought to myself. _I wonder if Esme wore dresses._ I pushed the out-of-character thought from my head and decided that if I needed to wear a god damned dress, I would. After all, a week of showing my legs couldn't kill me, could it?

The grocer's went fairly easily, but Macy's was an entirely different ordeal. The boys expected me to know exactly what I needed the moment we walked in the door, and they left me stranded in the women's department as they went to find themselves a few shirts. I'd looked through a few racks of clothing, but had found nothing so far, and my frustration levels were rising. Irritated, I grabbed a handful of tshirts and a few pairs of jeans and began walking to the registers. I was intercepted by Jasper, who shook his head and redirected me,

"Two things, Mom. First, none of that is "formal" in any way, shape, or form. Second, Dad will tear our heads off if we let you buy any of it yourself."

"Why the hell can't I buy my OWN CLOTHING?" I asked, raising my voice and feeling like my independence was being taken away.

"Chill, Jelly Belly. The only reason you're not buying any of it is because we all know you wouldn't have if it wasn't for our grandparents' odd traditionalism. So, it's only fair that we pay for it."

I sighed and allowed Jasper to scan the racks, informing him of my sizes as he went. To my surprise, he actually found three dresses I approved off. One was the deep green Carlisle loved so much, while the other two were shades of light purple. I felt out of my element and horribly embarrassed as the other two boys found a handful of outfits for me.

At the register, I found Lauren. Oh joy.

"Family outing?" She asked with a smirk.

Edward laughed at her and threw an arm around my shoulders, "Mommy needed a day out on the town."

She looked as if she were trying very hard not to make a cruel comment as an obviously dressed manager walked passed.

"Credit or debit?" She grinded out through her teeth.

Jasper handed her a sum of cash as she bagged our purchases. The manager stopped by and asked, "What's the special occasion?"

"Our grandparents' are coming to visit, and they like us to be a bit dressy." Emmett told her.

She smiled and said, "I think it's sweet that you boys get along so well with your sister."

My face flushed a deep red, and Lauren burst out laughing.

Quickly, Emmett straightened himself, "Ma'am, you are speaking about our _mother._"

Confused, the woman stared at my face, searching for age. Then, a sudden spark of realization crossed her features and she gasped, "Oh, I am terribly sorry! You must be Ms. Swan!"

I nodded.

"Do tell Doctor Cullen I said hello, he truly is a wonderful man! Again, I am so sorry if I offended you!"

With a large sigh, I nodded again and left the store. The drive home was quiet, and the boys seemed to understand my need for space as I unpacked the groceries and hung up my new clothes. I spent the rest of the day in my room, irritated. I understood the surprise, but I really didn't want to continue being thought of as my sons' sister for the rest of my life.

_They aren't actually your sons, Bella._ I reminded myself. Maybe if I could just remember that the rest of it would be easier. Well, one could hope…


	13. Can't You Just Be Happy?

**This was a... difficult chapter... but I got it! :D**

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After two days of cleaning and stress, it was finally the day of the Cullen's arrival, and I was up at six in the morning. Carlisle, who'd taken the next five days off of work, was complaining about my early rising and concerned about my ribs, but I knew I needed to do SOMETHING. My hair was straightened and my makeup perfected within a half hour, and I then moved on to dressing. I was irritated by the fact that I needed to wear shoes in my own home, but I was willing to respect the traditions of the family, and quickly chose an outfit.

Surprisingly, Edward had actually found the one that I enjoyed the most. The skirt was a light blue with white floral printing –I could've done without the floral, but hey, you take what you can get- and the shirt had a nice, white ruffle to it. I didn't mind the outfit as my day progressed, but I would refuse footwear until I saw a car pull up in my driveway.

It was seven thirty by the time that I managed to actually make it down the stairs, still wincing every few steps. Now, I was just ready to be better and have my ribs stop killing me. I would need to put on quite the show for Carlisle's parents if I didn't want them to notice my injured state.

I was sure that age would be an issue, but I was more concerned that they would ask about my family. I could imagine my response in my head already-

"My parents? Oh, my mother is dead. My father? He's in jail, awaiting trial for attempting to kill me." _Oh yeah, that would go over really well, I'm sure._

Distracting myself, I pulled out eggs and stored batter for pancakes. It was then that I remembered the price tag on my clothes, and I put on an apron for the first time in my life. Breakfast cooked just in time, as I watched four sleepy men drag themselves down the stairs. I chuckled and shook my head as they sat and I served their plates.

Carlisle glanced up after drinking his coffee, "You look… stunning, Bell."

The boys nodded their heads in agreement, and I smiled. "Thank your sons."

"Oh, so we're only _your _sons in _private, _B?" Edward questioned with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes and took my seat next to Carlisle. Breakfast today was filled with silent grogginess, and I cleared the plates as the four of them set to work on going back up to their rooms to change clothes. Immediately, I was back in the kitchen and began to make the pie crusts. Doing the math in my head, I realized I'd need to make about five of them, and I saw the long day ahead of me.

Ten minutes before noon, the third pie was in the oven, and I heard a car pull into the drive. I rushed up the stairs, calling the boys and slipping on my shoes, before joining Carlisle to answer the door.

As it opened I saw a tall, slender woman step over the threshold, followed by a clean-shaved, slightly older man. Carlisle's mother, as expected, was dressed in a slim fitting, knee-length dress and two inch heels, and her husband in dark jeans and a button up shirt. The elder Mr. Cullen stuck his hand out to shake Carlisle's, and his mother wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. I watched as they repeated the process with each of their grandsons before Mrs. Cullen turned to me.

"Hello," She said with a small smile, "I am Elaine Andrea Cullen, and you are?"

I smiled in return, "Bella Swan."

I then stuck my hand out to shake hers. Carlisle's father's introduction was far less showy and formal in comparison to his wife.

"Hello, Bella, I'm Carter. It's good to meet you." I nodded and excused myself, wanting the family to have their time.

Twenty minutes later, I was putting soup on the stove when Elaine walked into the kitchen.

"My son tells me you'll be here to celebrate the holiday with us?"

I nodded with a smile, "Yes, I will."

Then, I turned to stir the pot, and Elaine casually threw out, "You know, Carlisle has never allowed one of the boys' friends or girlfriends to come to a family meal."

I nodded and continued stirring, "No, and I don't imagine that that will change."

She took a few steps toward me, looking down her nose, and I chuckled to myself as I realized that Elaine was _very much_ like how I had pictured Esme.

"You must be a special case then, Bella."

"Well, I'm not seeing one of his _sons,_ so I guess that changes the rules a bit."

She then looked straight down at me, and I realized that she had no idea what role I played in the family; she had been subtly attempting to find out.

I opened my mouth to explain, but Emmett entered the kitchen and did it for me,

"Mom! Come out here; Grandpa is telling us about he and Dad's trip to Egypt again!"

"Emmett, I need to stir the stew." – "What do you mean by calling her your mother, Emmett?"

"I'll stir it. I've heard the story a thousand times!" – "Emmett!"

I left the room, sitting myself to Carlisle's left, and was certainly surprised as he rested his hand on my thigh. Carter shot us a curious glace just in time for his wife to storm into the room.

"Carlisle Matthius Cullen! I demand to know what that woman is doing in this house!"

He looked up at her as if it were the most obvious thing in the world and stated plainly, "Well, mother, she _does _live here."

Elaine screeched and then stomped her foot.

Carter, however, seemed to understand. "Carlisle, this is the woman you've told us about?"

He squeezed my hand with a smile and nodded his head.

"How _old_ is she, Carlisle? Fifteen?" Elaine yelled.

Carlisle stood at the same time as Carter, and their sentences began similarly as well.

"Mother," – "Elaine."

"I am a grown man." – "He's thirty-four, for god's sake."

"I don't care!"

"You cannot _choose_ who I love!" - "You do not make his decisions."

At this point, I was irritated. I stood, silenced Carlisle and his father in their words, and told her,

"Elaine, I am eighteen, and I care about your son very much."

"Eighteen?" She shrieked, "By god, you're hardly older than his children!"

I nodded, "But I love him, and I love the boys."

She simply stormed from the room, and I knew that this was going to be one hell of a Thanksgiving.


	14. Drowning in Emeralds

**A/N: SORRY FOR SUCH A LATE UPDATE!I LVOE YOU! READ AND REVIEW! :D**

After an hour of Carter's coddling, Elaine finally descended the stairs, refusing to look me in the eye. It seemed, in this case at least, that she would never be moved. Carlisle held my hand through lunch, and when Elaine, again, commented on the "inappropriate contact" I lost it.

I slammed my fork down and looked at her, "Elaine,"

She interrupted, "Mrs. Cullen will suit me just fine, thank you."

"Very well. Mrs. Cullen, I will not be alienated in my own home. I tolerated the ridiculous formality and the need to wear shoes in my. own. home. but I will NOT allow you to sit at my dinner table and talk as though I am not here."

Appalled, she huffed, "While you, Ms…."

"Swan," I finished for her.

"Ms. Swan, while you may be here for now, there will come a time when my son is quite through with your immaturity, and Esme will return. At that point, this will not be _"your home"_, and we need not concern ourselves with your unfortunate company. It is as simple as that."

Hurt, I checked my watch, interrupting Carlisle's rebuttal by addressing Jasper, "Jasper, May I borrow your car? I'll be working late tonight, and I don't want to wake you."

I didn't _have _to work if Carlisle wasn't there, but I decided I needed some space to calm down and relax. I think everyone understood that fairly well by the look on my face

He nodded and handed me the keys. With a stroke of immaturity boiling under my skin, I pulled the shoes from my feet and the pins from my hair, leaving them on my seat.

In rage, I looked at her and said, without allowing room for argument, "Perhaps you're right; Esme may be more suited for your rendition of a "perfect match" for Carlisle. But there is one thing that sets me apart from her, and this much is simple. I. love. your. son. and regardless of how you treat me, I will be here until he asks me to go."

As I left the room, I heard her mutter, "Well, that shouldn't be all too long then, I suppose."

Quickly, I rushed up the stairs and dressed. I heard the bedroom door open behind me, and I saw Carlisle step though. He grabbed my hand, slowing me down.

"Bell, you aren't scheduled for tonight."

Thinking fast and not wanting to have to admit that I couldn't stand sharing breathing space with his mother for one more minute, I said, "I told Doctor Anders that I'd intern for him for the next few nights, since Janice is in Tahoe on vacation.

Releasing me, he simply nodded and kissed me goodbye. I was graced with a small but saddened smile before I stepped out of the room.

Walking back down the stairs, I saw the boys and their grandparents sitting, still, at the table. Elaine was red in the face, and I had a feeling that Carlisle had had a thing or two to say to her.

I walked up to each of the boys, giving them a hug and a kiss on the side of the head.

"Remember, boys, you all need to do that research paper for Carthworlp."

It was returned with a synchronized and purposefully sarcastic, "We know, Mom."

I smiled at each of them and turned to Carlisle's father, "Carter, meeting you has been a pleasure; I will see you in the morning."

I shook his hand and then stuck it towards Elaine, "And you, Mrs. Cullen."

She delicately placed her hand in mine; shaking it as though it was covered in bacteria, before returning my sentiment in a less polite form, "Likewise, Ms. Swan."

I quickly rushed out the door, driving to the hospital quicker than I ever had. I parked in Carlisle's spot and adjusted myself and my makeup before walking through the doors. I knew I needed to be put together and entirely professional, but I couldn't help but shake,

I have never, in my entire life, worked for twelve hours straight without so much as a bath room break, but I was so frustrated with Elaine that I just couldn't handle going back home. Dr. Anders seemed to find it sort of funny, I think. I had called him on my way to the hospital to offer my help, and he'd been ecstatic but curious as to why I'd felt the need to come to the hospital on my days off.

After ten hours, he finally looked at me and asked, "So, Cullen isn't here, and you never work this late even when he is. I take it that there'd trouble in paradise?"

Chuckling before heading back to work, I told him, "Not trouble, just in-laws."

He laughed and nodded his head in understanding, walking me to my car two hours later with yet another question.

"So how did it happen, the… uh… involvement between you and Carlisle?"

I smiled and replied, "Fate, a stroke of luck, and one very crowded diner."

Obviously, I'd left plenty of room for confusion, but I felt that our story was something intimate and personal; the world didn't need to know.

It was three in the morning, and I walked through the door exhausted. What I didn't expect, however, was to find Carter sitting at the bar with a glass of bourbon.

When he took notice of my presence, he stood up and said, "Good morning, Bella."

I nodded, "Good morning. Where is your wife?"

"Asleep, hopefully. It took about four glasses of wine, I'd bet!" He threw his head back and laughed, and I saw the sincere resemblance between he and Carlisle for the first time.

Then, noticing my stare, he sat back down and stated, "I believe he's up there waiting for you; you don't want to leave a man like Carlisle to his thoughts for too long or he'll start drowning in them." He informed me, raising his glass in the air.

Humorously, as I walked into Carlisle's study, I found him sitting at his desk, inspecting paperwork with a glass of bourbon in his grasp. Once he noticed me, he stood and smiled. I shook my head, never understanding why the tradition was necessary. Then, he reached out for me and pressed his lips against mine.

"Is my mother really so dreadful that you were willing to spend nearly thirteen hours with Jared Anders?"

I shook my head avidly, "I simply made a commitment to him; it had nothing to do with your mother."

He laughed disbelievingly and carried me, over his shoulder, into our bedroom. He then helped me out of my scrubs and laid me in bed, wrapping his arms around me. With a soft kiss just below my ear, he soothed the wound that had been rubbed raw the entire night with a simple sentence.

"You are everything I have ever wanted."

I smiled, falling asleep with my head pressed to his chest; his heartbeat sounding through my dreams.

At seven the next morning, I found myself crawling from bed into the shower.

With all hopes of impressing Elaine thrown out the window, I decided to just shoot for being myself. I found my favorite dark washed jeans, yes, jeans, and a nice, burnt orange shirt with perma-wrinkies down the back. I topped it with a curled ponytail, simple makeup, and of course- NO SHOES.

I then made breakfast, leaving it on the stove to keep warm, put the turkey in the oven, and prepared simple sandwiches in bags for lunch. I decided that cookies were next on the list, but breakfast could come first. I woke Carlisle first, noticing his inspection of my clothing, but ignored it. It wasn't until I'd woken Emmett and Jasper that I realized exactly what had happened the day before- I had completely changed who I was. Edward only further proved that as I woke him.

"I'm glad you're back in your clothes. You looked too much like Esme yesterday…."

I nodded and knocked politely on the guest bedroom door on the first floor of the house, ignoring Edward's odd title change.

Carter opened it, eyes twinkling when he took in my clothing. It was then that I noticed that he was already dressed, tie and all, and I chuckled. They must've been up earlier than I had.

"Very nice, Bella; much more suiting." He said quietly.

Then, louder, he said, "Now, if you'll give us a moment, we will be properly dressed."

I sat at the table, serving food out to the already-formally-dressed boys and Carlisle, when Elaine and Carter sat down.

"Thank you for this meal. Now, we'll give you the time to properly dress. Haven't a worry, we will wait." Elaine informed me.

I chuckled and sat, "I _am _properly dressed, Elaine."

Jasper winked at me from across the table, and Edward sent me a small smile, while Emmett simply sat with his mouth agape.

"Mrs. Cullen." She corrected, "And you aren't wearing _shoes_, let alone proper bottoms."

"No," _I_ corrected, "I won't address you as an authoritative figure, Elaine. And I do not wear shoes, let alone _skirts_, in my home."

She huffed, ready to continue, but Carter grabbed her hand.

"Elaine, this isn't our home. She may do as she pleases."

She, again, muttered just loud enough for the table to hear, "Not for much longer, she won't."

It was then that Carlisle had seemed to have had enough.

"MOTHER!" He bellowed, causing us all to jump.

Then, he turned to the boys. "Out."

They quickly rose and left the room, hushedly chuckling as they went, and I shook my head with a small smile.

"Mother, let me make a few things clear, shall I?"

Carlisle asked, not leaving time for an answer.

"This is Bella's home; she is not temporary. She can where what she wants to wear, and that isn't up to your discretion. As a matter of fact-"

He kicked off his shoes and rolled up the sleeves of his white button up shirt.

"Now then, as I was saying- She isn't temporary, and Esme is not coming back. Ever. Esme made me miserable, Mother, and Bell makes me happy. That alone should give her enough credit to earn your acceptance. And if I need to spend the rest of my life dealing with this, then family visits may come to a halt, because I cannot and will not allow the woman I love to deal with your undeserving criticism."

I was shocked, and it seemed that Carter was too, but Elaine seemed to take it as a joke.

"I trust that this is simply a lack of judgment, and I did not raise a man frivolous enough to believe that a young woman would have her heart set on a man with children her age. Whatever it is that she wants, your money, attention… regardless, give it to her and send her on her way."

With tears pooling in my eyes, I looked to her and said simply, "The only thing I have _ever _wanted from your son was his love."

And with that, I rose and found myself in the kitchen, preparing the rest of the evening meal. I could hear the shouting from the kitchen, and found Carlisle at my side, arms wrapped around me a few moments later. He turned me around and pressed his lips to mine, and we heard a throat cleared from the doorway,

"Well, I suppose I'm meeting "Mommy" then, aren't I?"

Jumping, I turned to see a tall, slender, red haired woman glaring at me from the doorway with deep, angry, green eyes.

Carlisle stuck his hand out to shake hers and said, "Wonderful to see you again, Esme. I trust that you will be joining us for dinner?


	15. Time To Walk Away

_Carlisle stuck his hand out to shake hers and said, "Wonderful to see you again, Esme. I trust that you will be joining us for dinner?_

"I suppose I will be, seeing as how I am here by invitation. Quite a classy way to greet a welcomed guest, by the way, Love."

Carlisle sighed, "I suppose my mother called you then?"

Esme nodded with a smile, "She has always adored me; we've been speaking more recently. As a matter of fact, she's been trying to convince me to come back home. It seems that she has been less than pleased with these changes." She grinded through her fake grin, glancing my way.

"Ahh, how very rude of me, Esme, this is Bella. Bella, this is ex-wife Esme."

I smiled at him, holding his hand tighter, "I gathered that, honey. What a pleasure to meet you at last, Esme."

"Likewise." She said flatly and disinterested as she turned to Carlisle, "How freely you use that term, my love. It's only been such a short time since we parted." She said softly, reaching to rest her hand on his face.

Her long, fake red nails alone would have made me cringe, but her terms of endearment did nothing to improve my mood either.

Thankfully, Carlisle grasped her wrist carefully and put it back at her side, flatly returning, "It's been nearly five years, to my recollection. And, if you please, use my _name_ to address me."

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Ahh yes, and where is Phil?" He asked.

She chuckled, "He never could quite measure up. We divorced."

From the doorway, Jasper said, "Oh, have you decided to collect them, Esme?"

She turned with a forced smile and announced, "Jasper! I haven't seen you in ages!"

"And whose choice was that?"

Her smile fell for a moment but returned with a gentle ease. The fake persona she'd thrown up shook me, and my stomach churched. She reached up to hug Jasper, but he just walked away, returning with Emmett and Edward.

"M-Mom?" Edward asked.

She nodded and hugged him, his body staying still as stone- almost statue-like.

Emmett, however, was able to speak clearly.

"Well, look who remembered we exist."

Her mouth twitched, but Esme carefully yet ominously replied, "Mommy has been very busy, Emmett."

Emmett threw his head back and laughed, "You bet she has! She's been cleaning and cooking for days! Not to mention work and school. Ain't that right, Momma?" He chuckled, crossing the room and throwing an arm over my shoulder.

Esme's eyebrow raised in disbelief; Edward left the room.

Jasper crossed the room as well, standing beside his brother.

"Yeah, Ma really is a piece of work."

I smiled and mouthed, "thank you." before Esme began to speak once more.

"'_Momma'? ' Ma'?_ How old is she?"

Carlisle smiled, "Thirty on the inside."

Esme huffed, and Carlisle let go of my hand, directing us out into the sitting room where Carter and Elaine were now seated.

"Mother," He began angrily, but calmed himself to finish his sentence, "Mother, your guest is here. In the future, please ask Bella or myself before inviting people into our home."

Esme chuckled, "Oh, so she lives here then?"

This time, I spoke, "Yes, I do. And you are welcomed to stay to visit the boys, if you'd like."

"I thank you for your _permission_, Bella." My name came out as a hiss on her tongue, but I was determined to maintain my politeness for as long, if not longer, than she kept her false persona.

"Would you prefer the guest room on the left side of the floor, or the one on the second?"

Her mouth pulled into a smirk, "I believe you may choose your own room. I much prefer my bedroom."

Not leaving time for me to respond, Emmett came to my rescue.

"Esme, you can-" – "Emmett, call me 'Mom'."

"Again, Esme, you can use my room or the guest room next to it. Both of them are clean."

"Oh, did Mother Bella threaten you into cleaning it?"

She then turned to me, "They never have liked to clean their room, even when they were growing up. We always had to threaten to ground them."

Emmett looked back at her with a smile, "All she had to do was ask."

Esme, winking in Carlisle's direction, simply said, "Well, I suppose it's gotten easier since they've grown. These things have a way of coming full circle though, I suppose."

It was then that I had decidedly had enough. I went and sat in the library on the main floor- close enough that the boys would feel free to come speak to me, but far enough away that Esme and Elaine would not.

Oddly, Esme was stunning, but I didn't feel threatened. She was his past, and I was his present. I did, however, feel threatened by her presence in the company of Elaine. They were the two most influential females in Carlisle's life, and neither of them liked me.

I sat in the library, curled up with a book on the medical tactics of the Civil War Era, for a half hour before waking out to check on the turkey. As I stepped through the hallway, I caught a sight I would've preferred not to have seen. Esme's arms were wound around Carlisle's neck, and his were around her waist.

Hurt, I tried and succeeded in slipping into the kitchen unnoticed. As I tried to assure myself that it was nothing, I set a timer for the turkey, pulled out the stuffing and alerted Carlisle's parents that dinner would be prepared at six. They nodded, and Carter's eyes locked with mine; I knew he could see the hurt in my eyes, but I hoped he'd leave it be, and each of the boys sent me an odd glance as I left the room. Elaine, however, seemed satisfied and actually thanked me for the meal.

I found myself absorbed in the book, trying to find anything to distract myself, when Edward stepped into the room. He seemed nervous and uncomfortable, but I knew that he was better off now than he was yesterday.

"It's good to see her again." Edward told me shakily, as if he wasn't certain that he was allowed to speak.

I nodded, "I know; I'm glad you get to spend time with your mother."

He sighed, "Thank you for inviting her, Bella."

I glanced up and saw the sincerity on his face, and it made me smile, but I certainly wasn't about to take credit for any of this.

"Thank your grandmother; I didn't invite your mother to dinner."

Then, I turned back to my book and heard him shut the door quietly as he left. At that point, I only had a few minutes left before I was meant to pull the turkey from the oven. So, I called through the house for everyone to be seated and began to dish up plates. As I carried them into the dining room, I noticed the interesting seating arrangement.

Emmett, Edward, and Jasper were directly next to one another, cramming for space at the small table, and Carlisle sat between Esme and his mother, leaving me to sit in the chair that was placed in between Jasper and Carter. _As you wish, _I thought to myself, using hot pads to carry in the turkey. Carlisle carved it and served the plates, and Edward asked to pray. I smiled, and everyone bowed their heads as his grabbed the hands of his mother and Emmett, the rest of the table following suit.

"Lord, we thank you today for the gift of family and all your blessings. Thank you for the food you've allowed us to enjoy and the quality time we've gotten to spend together. But most of all, I thank you for allowing me to enjoy this day with my father, my brothers, my grandparents, and both of my moms. Thank you for the love that you've surrounded me with. Amen"

"Amen," We echoed.

I looked to Edward with tears in my eyes, and he sent me back a small smile. Esme, however, looked less than pleased.

"Thank you for cooking, Bell." Carlisle said happily, smiling at me from across the table.

I nodded and smiled back, laughing at the three voices yelling, "Thank you, Mom!" as if I wouldn't have heard them had they used their normal voices.

It seemed that Elaine and Esme, however, couldn't join in the happiness of the holiday, and opted to carry on their own conversation across Carlisle. At one point, I heard him interrupt, "Mother, for the last time,"

But was quickly cut off by Esme laying her hand over his arm, "Not to worry, Love, this doesn't concern you."

He said nothing and did not move, and I chose that moment to excuse myself from the table. At this point, it all came down to how long it took me to find a new place to live; I knew that Esme had a permanent place in this family, and I didn't.


	16. Don't You Know That I Love You?

I sat through the torturously long dinner, only leaving time to smile when Carter nudged me and whispered, "I hope you know that he did not choose that seat." I nodded and thanked him quietly, silently hoping that It was the truth.

In all honesty, I thought that Carlisle seemed miserable, but perhaps that was only hopeful eyes blinding themselves from the truth. After dinner, he attempted to help me with the dishes, but Elaine sent Jasper instead. He quickly set to work on scrubbing while I loaded them into the dishwasher, and he understood my lack of desire for conversation.

"Bella!" I heard Elaine call from the sitting room. I quickly entered and was greeted with a formal request, "Esme would like a glass of wine."

Sighing, I turned around to get it, when Carlisle interjected.

"Wait just one damn minute!" – "Son, watch your language!"

"No, mother. No. Enough is enough!"

I turned and sat down, figuring that I really ought to hear whatever it was that he had to say.

"My wife is not a servant, and the two of you seem to have some issues with that. Let's start with Esme, shall we?"

While I was focused on the title he'd given me, Esme seemed to be more focused on his chest; I wondered if she'd always looked at him like a piece of meat.

She gave a chuckle, "Very well."

He turned to her and stated flatly, "Unless you call Bella or myself a week in advance, you have no right to be here, and my mother's invitation does not give you that right. You are not here for me, my parents, or Bella, you are here to see the boys who, might I mention, you have spent absolutely no time with today. I don't _want _you anymore, Esme, and last I checked, you didn't want me either."

My jaw dropped, and Carlisle stretched his hand down to hold mine. Esme glared.

"Love," – "DON'T CALL ME LOVE, ESME!"

"Carlisle, respect your wife!"

"Mother, hush! Esme is not my wife. Esme, the entire time you have been in our home, you have attempted to push Bella aside, and I am sick of it!"

"I most certainly have not!"

We all turned to stare at Edward in the doorway as he said clearly, "Yes, you have."

He stepped into the room and hugged her; she remained still and refused to show any affection.

"E-Esme, I-I think you need to go home."

Her mouth hung open for a moment before she seemed to find words, "I suppose I've lost all my sons then, have I?"

Edward's head dropped to stare at the floor as he turned to leave, and he told her, "You didn't ever treat us like your own anyway. We were always just Dad's."

Esme stood, outraged, "Oh, and I suppose Bella thinks of you three as her children?"

Edward continued his walk out the door, and I pulled myself up by Carlisle's hand.

"As a matter of fact, Esme, I do. The three of them _are _my children, regardless of age."

She sneered at me and stepped forward. "I wonder how they feel telling their friends that their "mommy" is the classmate who sleeps with their pediatrician."

I threw my head back and laughed.

"And what, exactly, is so funny?" She questioned, crossing her arms.

"Clearly, you spent all eight years of your marriage talking about yourself."

"And what makes you say that?"

Carlisle smiled and threw his arm around my waist, "I'm Head of Surgery."

Elaine burst in, "Surely she knew that. She was simply emphasizing the very large age gap."

"No, no I didn't." Esme sighed, standing up.

"Esme, why did you even come back in the first place?" I asked.

She shrugged, "I didn't figure you mattered enough that he wouldn't have me back."

I shook my head, "Neither did I."

Carlisle quickly turned to look at me, a look of surprise covering his face, before he collected himself and faced forward.

"Esme, please get a hotel for the night."

She was about to argue when he interrupted, "That was not a suggestion. Goodbye, Esme."

He quickly ushered her out the front door, her bag in hand.

There, I figured that the conversation was through, but Carlisle immediately set to work on Elaine.

"Mother, I am marrying this woman, whether you like it or not. And you may either accept that, or follow Esme out the front door. Is that clear?"

Through her teeth, she gritted, "Crystal." And stormed from the room.

Carter's head was thrown back with a large chuckle, and he clapped Carlisle on the back.

"One of us had to do it eventually."

He then left the room, and I wrapped my arms around Carlisle. I had thousands of things swimming through my head, but at that moment, I was just happy to have alone time with him. It had been a very, very long day.

"That wasn't exactly how I expected our first Thanksgiving to be, but the day ended well." I told him, snuggling my head against his chest. He pulled back from me a bit and angled his head to look into my eyes.

"You thought she could just come back, out of the blue, and take this away from us? Bell, don't you know how much I love you?"

I hung my head in shame, "I do. I'm sorry, I was just insecure. And then seeing the two of you hug in the hallway… I thought I'd already lost the fight."

He shook his head and brought my face back up to his, locking my mouth into a loving kiss, before he said, "There was no fight; you won the day I met you. And, as for the "hug", Bell, I was preventing her hands from attempting to unbutton my shirt. I can't believe you ever thought that I could just stop loving you like that."

"I love you." I whispered, trying to hold back embarrassed tears.

"As I love you, My Bell."

His lips brushed against mine, and we quietly walked up the stairs to our bedroom, making love to one another countless times before the end of the night. And each time my name fell from his lips, it was like a blanket of security and adoration wrapped around me, leaving me happier than I knew was ever possible.


	17. Seal It With A Kiss

As I woke up Christmas morning, my hands shook. I wasn't sure exactly how Carlisle would react to his present, but I was terrified. I lay there, nervously twisting the diamond ring on my left hand. I knew that he would love me, no matter what, but what if this wasn't what he wanted? I couldn't handle it if he reacted poorly. To calm myself, I thought happily of the day that Carlisle and, well honestly, all three of the boys, proposed to me.

_It had been two weeks since Carlisle's mother had left, and my home was finally back to the way that I preferred it to be. I'd been at work for eight hours, and was not expecting the clean, fresh house that I walked into._

_ Immediately, I felt Carlisle's hands cover my eyes and walk me into the dining room, removing them to show me the wonderful meal that the boys had cooked just for the two of us. I was immensely curious as to the occasion, but I decided to enjoy the food before I asked. After Jasper came and took our plates, Carlisle sat me atop the table and began to speak,_

"_Bell, I have loved you for what feels like an eternity, and I know that I always will. You are an amazing mother to our children, and I couldn't ask for a better woman to wake up next to every night."_

_I stuttered and watched as the boys entered the room, Edward handing Carlisle a small black velvet box, "Isabella Marie Swan, will you do me the greatest honor I could ever ask for and be my wife?"_

_I couldn't tear my eyes away from the four men in front of me as I smiled and happily told them, "There is nothing I would rather do."_

Having calmed down, I now climbed out of bed and went downstairs to wake the boys; I wanted to make sure they'd get to enjoy their favorite Christmas tradition. After a few minutes, they bounced up the stairs and jumped onto Carlisle as he rested.

"Dad!"

"Dad!"

"Dad, wake up! It's Christmas!"

He was startled as he woke, but immediately started laughing as he climbed out of bed and carried himself down the stairs. He stumbled a bit, and I quickly fetched him a cup of coffee as the boys chuckled and followed him down the stairs, singing carols all around as they did.

I walked back into the room with his cup in my hand and set it down gently before unhooking the stockings from just above the mantel. I loved that they still played "Santa". Childishly, the four of them, all grown men might I add, tore into their stockings and shoved candy into their mouths.

Emmett sent me a chocolate-y smile and said, "Santa stuffed yours too, Momma!"

I, too, found myself smiling and laughing as I dug through candies and little trinkets, finding a letter at the bottom. Opening the envelope quietly, I read, in thick, untidy handwriting,

"_**Bella, **_

_**Thank you for everything that you do for us. I know that it hasn't been easy, but you've made our family complete. I don't know what we'd have done without you. You put the happiness back in our home and the light back in Dad's eyes.**_

_**I love you, Mom.**_

_**-Edward"**_

The tears welled up in my eyes, and Emmett and Jasper shot me confused glances as I wrapped my arms around Edward and kissed the top of his head. We really were, with much work and much more to come, a wonderful family.

I gave Carlisle a soft kiss and informed him, "We have three loud, rambunctious, amazing sons."

At that, all three boys jumped on me with a large hug, and I wished that we could've captured it on film. It was the single most amazing moment of my life, and I had never been happier.

Prying myself from their arms, I handed out the piles of presents and began to open my own with a large, childish smile plastered upon my face. From Edward, I had received a beautiful set of oil paints, from Emmett a guitar to start learning to play, and from Jasper a gorgeous leather-bound journal and a single edition tarot deck. They had put so much work into finding me the perfect gifts, and it brought great joy to my face as I watched them enjoy the gifts that I had chosen.

After the excitement dulled, I found one small box at my feet. I opened it to find a gorgeous emerald pendant on a gold chain; Carlisle smiled as he saw the tears well up in my eyes. I turned and he delicately clasped it around my neck.

"My great grandmother's," He told me with a soft smile.

Tears, for the third time in an hour, fell down my cheeks, and I handed him his box. It was an odd shape, and he didn't seem to notice what the box was for as he ripped it open. Inside, he found a pair of small pink booties. He sent me a confused glace.

"Look at the box." I told him.

In his hands, he held the packaging for my pregnancy test, the word "Pregnant" having been circled in red marker. His mouth fell open and he dropped the box, keeping the small booties in his hand. It took him a moment to look up at me, multiplying my nerves tenfold, but he eventually did with an unreadable expression in his eyes.

"Bell, we're having a baby?"

Timidly, I held his free hand and sent him a gentle smile, "A baby girl."

At this, he took me in his arms and pressed his lips to mine passionately. It lasted a moment before he pulled back and smiled at me, "I'm going to have a daughter. We're going to have a daughter."

Joyful tears streamed down his face, and I kissed him quickly once again before I heard the boys erupt with clapping and cheers.

"Baby sister time!" Emmett screamed.

"No dating until she's thirty." Edward informed us.

Jasper, however, had questions instead of statements.

"What are you going to name her?"

I had already had time to think on the subject, but was surprised that Carlisle answered as quickly as I did. It was no surprise that we had picked the same name- the entire reason for her life,

"River."

I laid back in Carlisle's arms with a smile as we, for the first time, told the boys the entire story of how we'd fallen in love. They smiled and laughed but listened intently to the details that we were willing to give, and they were filled with questions. And once again, I cried, because for the first time in my life, I had a strong, happy family, and I knew that that would never change.

**X.X END X.X**

**Gimmie one last review, eh old pals? **


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